Final Gambit
by Azarelinor
Summary: When everything seemed lost, the Maidens and their protector played one last, final gambit, praying that it would be enough. Bereft of everyone he knew and loved, Jaune Arc must turn the tides even as the river of time changes its course.
1. Undone

Final Gambit

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Man, I don't know what's going on. I had another idea for a story, and it just demanded to be written. It definitely required a different style to write this than my other story, and in all honesty I think this is better written. But maybe that's just me. Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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He stood in front of the door, the final respite, the last hiding place, the one remaining sanctuary. His team had fallen, dying one by one in an effort to protect the last hope Remnant had of stopping the onslaught. He took a deep, shuddering breath, allowing himself one last, final time to mourn. To mourn for the senseless and unfeeling deaths of his team and everyone they had died trying to save. She would be here soon, and he knew that as he was, as she was, it would be impossible for him to hold her off for longer than a few minutes. He hoped that Summer, Spring, Winter, and Fall would be able to use the time to come up with an escape plan of some kind while he delayed her. However, injured as they were, it was only a matter of time. Perhaps, had they all banded together, before the Kingdoms began falling to the Grimm and from the inside, they would have had chance. But pride, foolish, ignorant pride had blinded them, and she had taken advantage of it, turning the Kingdoms against each other even as they tried desperately to protect themselves from real and imagined threats. He shook himself free of such thoughts; they would only serve to weigh him down while he tried to save what was left.

"She's coming, isn't she?"

He turned his head slightly, keeping one eye on the corridor ahead, even as he glanced back at who had called for him. "Spring, you shouldn't worry about me. You and the other Maidens should be resting, planning an escape route." He shook his head slightly, and grimaced. She would be here soon. "I'll be able to stall her for at least a little while. Get out while you still can. I'll hold her off, then meet up with you later."

She smiled weakly at him, tears flowing down her face. "Don't make promises that you can't keep. I just… I just wish that I hadn't been so stupid back then. I fell for her lies, and we all paid the price for it."

Keeping one eye on the corridor, he wrapped her in a hug. It was an old, old wound that she carried, a burden that she carried that never healed, never lifted. "It wasn't your fault," he whispered soothingly. "She tricked all of us. I know that you, of everyone, want to go back and undo it. But that's all in the past." He stood up, and turned to face the corridor once more. "You only have a few minutes. Get out of here as fast as possible."

She shook her head. "We're going to make a final stand here. We've decided that even injured as we are, we'll fight. We won't let her take away any more than she already has."

He inhaled, fighting the urge to shout at her. "I can't let you do that. You're the only hope Remnant has of stopping her, but you can't do that while injured. Just leave and let me fight, knowing that I've bought enough time for your escape. This is my last, final thing I'll ask of you."

She merely shook her head again, and the urge to yell welled up once more, but he fought it down. She looked at him and said softly, "We're not making this our final stand because we want to, but because we need to. Fall believes that we can send someone back. But only one person, and it can't be one of us. You're the only one left that we can send back. We'll be drained after we do, so drained that we won't be able to run. This is our final gambit, our last chance."

He hesitated, looking over his shoulder and into the darkened room. His eyes widened. "What-?"

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "They killed themselves, and their last thoughts were of me. The four seasons have the power, but only when united in perfect harmony. They killed themselves, and I won't let their sacrifice be for naught. Please, please, don't let their sacrifice mean nothing."

He said nothing, looking at the sobbing girl – no, not a girl anymore. He remembered how innocent, how naïve she had been, how she'd always believed the best of everyone. And that loss of innocence struck him fully in that instant. Wrapping his arms around her once more, he whispered, "Alright. I'll do it. I'll do it." Her arms tightened around him, and she relaxed slightly, head resting against his shoulder.

"I knew you'd do it," she whispered to him. "You were always so kind, so willing to take everything upon yourself in order to protect others. So willing to be the friend of a dorky teenager with more dreams than were good for her. So willing to sacrifice yourself for everyone." She smiled weakly at him, a heart wrenching expression on her face. She placed one hand on his chest, and it pulsed with power. She looked at him; one last, final look at her only remaining friend, and whispered, "Goodbye, Jaune."

Tears welled up in his own eyes, and he murmured to her, "Goodbye, Ruby." And with that, he felt himself falling away. His last sight was of her cradling his body and sobbing uncontrollably, and then everything faded to black.

* * *

I actually teared up a little while writing this, so hopefully I managed to convey the hopelessness and loss that the characters were experiencing. I have a rough outline for where I want this story to go, so expect a potential update within the next week. For anyone concerned with Jaune being overpowered, all I can say is that he the only place he'll beat out other characters (at least in the beginning) is knowledge. Until next time!


	2. Restart

Whew, done! This one was a lot more difficult to write than the last chapter, partly because my muse was being stubborn and partly because I wanted to follow the plot for at least the first few chapters in order to ease myself in, but not copy the plot word for word. I'd like to think that I at least did an adequate job of changing things up such that they weren't too similar to canon, but maybe that's just me. Anyways, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

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 **Edit 1: Spelling and grammar mistakes (1/28/2015)**

* * *

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

It worked, Jaune thought clinically as he came to. He opened his eyes and found himself looking at the panting form of a younger Pyrrha Nikos. He fought the urge to wrap her in a hug; the last time he had seen her, she had been swarmed by grimm, fighting valiantly so others could escape. But no matter how she looked, she wasn't _his_ partner. Not yet at least. He shook himself from his thoughts, asking, "Pyrrha, are you okay?" He grimaced. That had come out gruffer than he'd intended.

She looked up at him, her exhaustion clear from her posture. "I'm… I'm fine. I used my aura to unlock your own. You have more than anyone else I've seen in our age group, so it took a bit out of me. Give me a moment to rest and I'll be fine." She slumped slightly, putting her hands on her knees, missing the scowl that flashed across Jaune's face. He was creating changes merely by existing. Too many changes too quickly and his knowledge would be useless.

"We should go," he murmured. His memories of initiation were hazy, but it was impossible for him to forget the Deathstalker and Nevermore that had brought Teams RWBY and JNPR together.

Pyrrha nodded and straightened herself, but Jaune could tell that she was still tired by the way her hands shook imperceptibly. "Right. Did you want to lead, or should I?"

Jaune put a hand to his chin as he tried to recall how he had acted during his first year at Beacon. It wasn't difficult. Putting on a large grin, he turned and said boastfully, "How about I lead? Now that I have my aura unlocked, it feels like I can do anything!" He put one hand on his arm and flexed his bicep for emphasis.

Pyrrha giggled, motioning for him to take the lead, and he turned, but not before he noticed her eyes narrow thoughtfully. He cursed internally. Pyrrha had always been very perceptive; he'd been thankful when she was working with him, but now it was just one more thing he would have to keep track of. As if he didn't have enough of those already, he thought darkly.

* * *

"Think this is it?" Jaune asked softly. It wasn't of course; but there was no need to let Pyrrha know that he knew. Fighting the Deathstalker had helped bring Team JNPR together, and since no one had been injured in doing so, he felt justified in luring it to the temple once more.

"I don't know," Pyrrha said hesitantly. "Maybe, but I'm not too sure…"

Jaune shrugged slightly. "Well, we do know that the temple is in the northern part of the forest, which is where we are now. I think we should check just in case."

She nodded slowly, then frowned. "That makes sense, but we don't have any form of lighting. It wouldn't be safe to enter without a light." She turned to see Jaune holding a makeshift torch. "That could work," she said, smiling slightly. He grinned and entered the cave, gesturing for her to follow.

About a hundred feet in, he let himself trip and fall, 'accidentally' losing his grasp on the torch. As it went out and he lifted himself to his feet, Pyrrha tapped him on the shoulder. "Do you feel that?" She whispered, voice calm.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I can," he murmured. "It's warm. Maybe it's the relic."

As they made their way down the tunnel, he felt Pyrrha stretch her arm across his chest stopping him. "Up ahead," she said softly. "There's light."

"It must be the relic!" He exclaimed quietly. He scowled at how forced that had come out, but luckily Pyrrha didn't seem to notice. Brushing past her, he walked up to the light, grimacing as he did so. It was one thing to grab a Deathstalker's stinger unknowingly; it was quite different to willingly grab on. But he had decided to make as few changes as possible, at least for the moment, and so with only the slightest hesitation, he grabbed on. Immediately, he was lifted into the air, coming face to face with the Deathstalker as he did so. He let out what he hoped sounded like a terrified yell, prompting the Deathstalker to charge out of the tunnel.

* * *

"Heads up!" Ruby yelled, desperately flailing her arms in a vain attempt to slow her fall, when suddenly something slammed into her from the side, knocking the air from her lungs. She gasped for air, only to have her breathe knocked out once more as she came to a sudden halt. She groaned piteously, shaking her head to clear it.

"Are you okay?" A voice asked woozily, and she turned to see Jaune holding her in place. He looked disoriented, likely from having his head slammed into the tree trunk at high speed.

"Are you okay Jaune!?" She gasped out, ignoring the position that they were in. He seemed to focus when she said his name. She sighed in relief, before saying chidingly, "You didn't have to protect me Jaune – I would have been fine on my own."

He rolled his eyes, wincing as he did so. "You might have been fine, but it's my job to protect you, Spring. I promised, remember?" His eyes shot wide open after he realized what he'd said, and he swore internally.

"Jaune, do you have a concussion or something?" She asked worriedly, reaching out to touch his forehead. "It's me, Ruby."

He forced a laugh. "Sorry Ruby, I guess that I'm just a bit disoriented. Give me a second and my aura will heal it as good as new," he said, smiling gently to show he would be fine.

She looked worriedly at him, but thankfully took him at his word. "Come on, I'll help you down," she said, slinging one arm over her shoulder. He tried to protest, but she merely hopped down from the tree, bending her knees to absorb the impact. He removed his arm from her shoulder, and she looked back at him, seeming slightly hurt by the action. He gently pushed her forward, gesturing towards Yang, who was eyeing her in concern. After Ruby ran towards Yang, he turned his attention to Pyrrha, who was fighting desperately to disengage from the Deathstalker. He wanted to assist her, but he knew that Weiss would be falling at any moment, and he had to make sure that she would be able to protect Ruby from the Deathstalker.

When Weiss finally began to fall, he readied himself, taking a deep breath before leaping into the air and intercepting her. "Do you have any way to slow us down?" He murmured. She nodded dumbly, before swiping a finger through the air and creating a glyph that lowered them gently to the ground.

After they were safely on the ground, he set her down, fighting the urge to scream in agony as he did so. He'd forgotten that he was in his seventeen year old body; he'd forced aura into his legs in order to jump higher than any normal person could. But this body wasn't used to performing physics defying acts of that magnitude, and his muscles were paying the price. His aura would heal it, just as it had broken it, but for the few minutes or so, he was practically immobile. The revelation couldn't have come at a better time, he admitted to himself – he didn't have to do anything for the next few minutes, allowing him to concentrate on healing his injuries. By the time he was finished healing, Weiss had disabled the Deathstalker.

Pyrrha walked over, holding out a hand that he gratefully accepted. Nodding to her, he walked over to the relics, and his hand hovered over the last remaining white rook. He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at Yang and Blake, before turning back to the piece. He was tempted to take the remaining white knight; it would make his job of protecting the Maidens much simpler later on. Reminding himself that he wasn't going to make any major changes, he picked up the white rook, testing the weight of the cool marble.

"We should leave," he said, turning to the rest of them. He allowed a touch of iron to creep into his voice. "We have what we came for – there is no point in fighting a battle we don't need to." Wise words, he thought wryly to himself as the rest murmured their agreement. They'd be wiser still if this was a fight they could run from.

* * *

"We need to get over to the other side!" He shouted, drawing Nora's attention. He stepped back from the ledge, then said, "The only problem is, I don't think I can make that jump. Nora, do you have anything that can get us across?" It was mostly true – his aura hadn't completely finished healing the damage to his legs, but they were healed enough to run and jump normally. Using auric enhancement to get across would likely leave him out of commission for at least an hour.

Nora merely chuckled, shifting her weapon to its hammer form and slamming it down on the end of the collapsed bridge, sending Jaune flying to the other side of the chasm. She pressed down on a button on her hammer, releasing an explosion that sent her flying at just the right arc to bring her hammer down on the Deathstalker's head. She jumped back to avoid the stinger as it flashed towards her face, accidentally knocking Blake off the cliff. Jaune kept one eye on her to make sure that she'd avoid falling to her death, deflecting a claw with his shield even as he did so. Seeing that she had made it to the safety of the other side, he turned his full attention to the Deathstalker right as Ren latched onto its tail and began shooting the stinger. Distracted by the bullets, it left itself open for Pyrrha to throw her javelin straight into one of its eyes. Roaring in pain, it snapped its tail to the side, throwing Ren into a wall. Jaune spared a single glance to make sure Ren was alright. Seeing that he was fine, he whispered to Pyrrha, "Can you take out the stinger?" She nodded, whipping her shield through the air to cut it off at the base of its tail. The stinger fell, piercing partway through the grimm's head even as Pyrrha's shield returned to her, and Jaune turned to Nora.

"Nora, nail it in."

"On it!" She chirped, jumping onto Pyrrha's shield as she held it horizontal to the ground before leaping into the air. She slammed the hammer onto the stinger, driving it deep into the grimm's head and collapsing the remainder of the bridge even as Jaune and Pyrrha were thrown to safety by the impact.

Jaune staggered to his feet, wincing as he did so – being thrown through the air twice in rapid succession was not a pleasant experience at any time, but it had been especially painful due to his still injured legs. He looked on with a small amount of awe as Team RWBY dispatched the Nevermore. It had been impressive the first time because of its flashiness, and it was equally impressive the second time due to the team work and communication involved in making the plan function. He turned to his team, a slight smile on his face. "Well, it looks like we're just about done with the hard part of initiation. Good work everyone. Now let's meet up with the rest and head back to Beacon."

* * *

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc." Jaune pretended to stutter in surprise, prompting Pyrrha to smile brightly at him, while Nora gave him a thumbs up and a wide grin, and Ren gave him a small smile and nod of acceptance. "Congratulations young man," Professor Ozpin said quietly, inclining his head as he did so.

Jaune led the rest of his team off stage even as Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang made their way onto the stage. Clapping after they were christened Team RWBY, he turned to his team. "You guys go on ahead. I need to speak with Professor Ozpin about something important."

"Anything we need to know about?" Ren asked calmly as he held a hand over Nora's mouth.

Jaune shook his head. "It's just something that I'm a little concerned about. I figure that I should probably let him know sooner rather than later."

"Alright," Pyrrha said, looking at him with concern. "However, if it is important you _will_ let us know, right?"

"If it becomes a problem, then you guys will be the first to know," he said, giving them a small smile. "But hopefully it will never come to that."

Pyrrha looked unconvinced, but nodded, leading Nora and Ren away from their leader. Jaune waited until he was the only student left in the room before walking up to Ozpin.

"Yes, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin asked, taking a sip of his coffee as he did. "What is it that you need to speak to me about?"

Jaune glanced around suspiciously. "Would you mind if we spoke in your office? I don't feel comfortable talking here."

Ozpin took another sip of his coffee. "I suppose that's understandable. Follow me, then," he said, walking towards the elevator, Jaune following close behind.

When they reached his office and Ozpin had situated himself in his chair, he turned slowly to face Jaune. "I can assure you that we are not being eavesdropped or watched at this moment. Now, what was it that you need to speak with me about?"

Jaune hesitated briefly. He was unsure whether to tell the man the whole truth, or merely let him know that his transcripts had been faked. While he trusted the man, he also knew that he had a nasty habit of keeping secrets – secrets that could potentially cause great harm if handled incorrectly. He made up his mind quickly; Ozpin was his best chance at learning precisely what was going on.

He leaned forward, making sure to look Ozpin directly in the eye. "I was wondering if we could talk a little about… fairy tales."

* * *

As I mentioned earlier, this was very difficult to write. I think that I now understand a major problem fanfiction authors face when writing a story that closely follows cannon – how to follow canon without repeating unnecessary details and events. I feel a little disappointed with this chapter to be perfectly honest – it feels a little choppy and forced. I also have something that I'd like your input on. I was wondering whether I should leave Jaune's semblance hidden or have it already discovered. I already have an idea for his semblance, and I'm confident that it won't make him overpowered in any way, shape or form, and I _could_ use it in this story. Or, I could simply leave it hidden, and when the show reveals what it his semblance is, I could possibly fit it in then. Let me know what you think!

Until next time!


	3. Questions

I have a few things to talk about. First, a few people complained about last chapter following canon closely, and I apologize for that. Hopefully, this chapter will appease those who felt that way, as there are only a few scenes that have anything to do with canon this chapter. In regards to romance, I'm hesitant to say at this point. I honestly don't know who he will end up with, or if he will even end up with anyone. I'm open to suggestions, and if I get enough of them, I'll open up a poll and see how things go from there. Right now though, Jaune isn't looking for romance – he's trying to figure out how to prevent his future from occurring. Any romance (again, if any) will come later in the story. Finally, this chapter deviates from canon slightly – the first time combat class occurs is when Cardin fights Jaune, which is several weeks after the start of canon. Sorry about the long author's note – hopefully the extra thousand words in this chapter will make up for it.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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Ozpin's only reaction was to narrow his eyes imperceptibly – if Jaune hadn't been watching carefully, or wasn't as perceptive as he was, he wouldn't have noticed anything. Ozpin lifted his coffee mug to his lips and drained it, before putting it down and considering him thoughtfully. "Fairy tales, Mr. Arc? Such as the Tale of the Two Brothers or the Shallow Sea?" He stared intently at Jaune, clearly waiting on his answer.

Jaune shook his head. "Neither of those, Professor. I heard from a… mentor of sorts that you are perhaps the best person to talk to about a different fairy tale that I'm interested in. They said you were familiar with the story of the seasons."

Ozpin nodded slowly, reclining back in his chair and steepling his fingers in front of his chest. "I am indeed quite familiar with that particular story. Was there anything specific you wanted to know about it?"

Jaune hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "My… mentor also told me of how the story is true. Of how there are four maidens with incredible powers on Remnant today."

Ozpin merely looked at him. "And if, hypothetically, that were the case, then why would you think that I would know anything about it?" He asked, eyes boring into Jaune's own.

"Because," Jaune whispered, throat suddenly dry, "He also told me that you had formed a group to protect them."

Ozpin unsteepled his fingers and glanced at the clock. "It is late, Mr. Arc. I am sure that your team is worried about you. We can continue this discussion at a later point; tomorrow, if you so wish."

Jaune looked at the clock himself. Eleven thirty. How had it gotten so late? He turned back to Ozpin and nodded. "Tomorrow sounds fine," he whispered. He got up from his chair and headed for the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, he heard Ozpin say softly, "Let me be the first person to welcome you back, Mr. Arc."

* * *

Jaune walked back to his team's room, deep in thought. He had been surprised by Ozpin's final remark, he admitted, but perhaps he shouldn't have been. Ozpin had always been scarily perceptive, able to put together tiny hints into a coherent whole. What he was still trying to determine was exactly what tiny hints he had dropped, and whether anyone else might be able to pick up on them the same way Ozpin had. He rubbed his forehead in frustration – clearly he was going to have to wait until tomorrow if he wanted answers.

He sighed, looking up at the sky and the broken moon through a window. Talking to Ozpin had raised more concerns than it had dissipated. Shaking his head free of such thoughts, he opened the door to his team's room, hoping that the rest of JNPR would be asleep so as to avoid any awkward questions. No such luck, he thought wryly as his three teammates looked up at the sound of the door opening.

"Welcome back," Ren said calmly. "Done talking with Professor Ozpin?"

Nora wasn't so reserved. "You took like forever!" She said, waving her arms in the air for emphasis. "Well, maybe not forever, but you took _such_ a long time! You even missed the pancakes at dinner!"

"Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked worriedly. "You look absolutely exhausted. What happened?"

"I have another talk with him tomorrow, probably after classes," he said, answering Ren's question first. "And I'm fine, Pyrrha. The talk just went on a little longer than I thought it would. And Nora, pancakes for dinner?" he asked wryly, to which she nodded her head proudly.

"You can never have too many pancakes!" She proclaimed loudly. "In fact, I had a dream once where-" She was cut off as Ren covered her mouth.

"Anything we need to know?" Ren asked, looking intently at Jaune. "Or is it personal?"

"It's personal," Jaune admitted. "Sorry, it's just…" he trailed off.

Pyrrha stood up, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you ever need any help, let us know, okay?" She said gently. "We're a team now, remember?" Ren nodded, smiling slightly even as Nora flailed her arms to dislodge his hand from her mouth before settling for an emphatic thumbs up.

"Yeah," he said hoarsely, a small, sad smile on his face as he looked at each of them and remembered who they would become. "Thanks guys. I appreciate it."

Later, after they had finished unpacking and refurbishing their room, he lay on his bed, reminiscing over all the good times he had spent with Team JNPR. They weren't the same people, he admitted, and he didn't ever want to have them go through what they had in the previous timeline. They were close enough that he wanted to get to know them again and similar enough that it reminded him that he had failed their counterparts. He turned over in his bed and allowed a single tear to well up before blinking it away. It was all he would allow himself while the world needed him.

* * *

Ozpin looked up at the night sky, absently sipping his coffee as he did so. Jaune Arc had come back in time, that much he was certain of. But there were so many unknowns, from how the timeline had ended, what the Maidens had to do with it, how Ozpin himself had failed, where it had all gone wrong. He wasn't ashamed to admit that putting the meeting off until the next day had been a stall tactic on his part, designed to give him time to think. He sighed, put the coffee down, and gazed at the shattered moon, as if willing it to give him the answers.

"Is there something wrong?" Glynda asked softly from behind him. "You seem… melancholic."

He turned his chair to face her and smiled wryly. "I'm fine, Glynda. I just feel old tonight, as though time is catching up to me."

* * *

Jaune woke at half past six, rolling silently out of bed and into a crouch. His hand immediately went to Crocea Mors, which rested at the side of his bed. Realizing where, and more importantly, when he was, he walked noiselessly to the dresser and removed his uniform.

He gazed at it for a moment, before shaking his head and making his way to the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him. He quickly changed into it, putting the t-shirt and boxers he'd used in lieu of the onesie into one of the empty hampers the school provided.

He hesitated, looking around the room at the slumbering forms of his teammates. He knew in the first timeline he hadn't woken up until eight, and neither had the rest of his team. He was sure that such a minor difference would cause little to no changes, and old habits died hard. He would let them rest a bit, he decided; they had earned it after initiation the day before.

He pulled out his schedule and grimaced. Grimm Studies at nine. He could probably ace the final exam without even trying, and having Peter Port as the teacher certainly wouldn't make the subject any more interesting. He sighed quietly, before pulling out the textbook. It would be best to read the book just in case. He did have another forty five minutes to kill before waking the rest of his team.

Jaune knocked on the door and waited with the rest of his team. There had been a few grumbles about being woken up at seven thirty, but in the end they'd grudgingly gotten up after he'd told them about Grimm Studies at nine. Pyrrha had suggested that they ask Team RWBY if they wanted to join them for a quick breakfast before heading to class, and the rest of JNPR had agreed.

"Yes?" Ruby asked, poking her head out of the door. On seeing who it was, she grinned and opened it fully. "Hey guys! What brings you to the humble abode of Team RWBY today?"

"Team JNPR would like to ask Team RWBY if they would be amenable to breaking fast together," he said pompously, gesturing at his team.

"We'd love to," she giggled, "but we're a little busy tidying things up right now. How about we meet up with you guys there?"

"That plan would work, were it not for the fact that we have Grimm Studies at nine. What about you guys? What's your first class?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know. Let me check," she said, walking over to a desk and picking up a book. She flipped through it as she walked over to them. "Let's see… Hey, it looks like we have the same class!" She exclaimed. "Wait, what time is it now?"

"It's eight fifteen right now, so you probably won't be able to eat breakfast unless you leave now."

She hesitated, looking back into the room. "Change of plans!" She called over her shoulder. "Class is at nine, so we're grabbing breakfast. We can make the bunk beds later."

"Bunk beds!" Jaune heard Nora gasp behind him. "Why can't _we_ have bunk beds?"

"Because we have enough room for all of our belongings without stacking beds on top of one another," he heard Ren whisper back.

* * *

Jaune took a deep, calming breath as the elevator took him up to the Headmaster's office. He'd made for the office as soon as classes had finished, telling his team that he'd see them later that night.

"Before we begin," Ozpin said, turning around as soon as he'd the elevator doors opened, "I'd like to make sure of one thing. Who was the mentor you mentioned?"

"You," Jaune said, slightly confused. "I thought that you'd figured that out already."

"Best to make sure Mr. Arc. Was there anything I told you that was so important that I made you swear on the name of Arc that you would never reveal it?" His eyes gained a strange intensity as they bore into Jaune's own, and Jaune was forced to look away.

"No, Professor. Nothing that was that important."

"I see," Ozpin murmured, relaxing back into his chair. "I hadn't expected that I would have, but…" he trailed off, eyes gazing into the distance. He shook his head slightly, and his eyes refocused. "Don't concern yourself with it, Mr. Arc. The information I speak of is unimportant at this point in time."

He leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "I do, however, have a few more questions I'd like to ask you before you ask me anything. I'll try to only ask for essential information that will not have any immediate impact on my plans. If I trusted you enough then to join the protectors, then I believe I would have trusted you now to determine when and where you change the timeline."

Jaune nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and gestured for him to continue. "First, is the Queen the King as well? I don't need to know who the King is if she is not."

"I… didn't see anything that would confirm that the Queen was working for someone else, but there were a few times she seemed to be acting with someone else," Jaune said, choosing his words carefully. "I never saw her interacting as an equal with anyone else, so it could have been my imagination."

Ozpin nodded, murmuring, "So we may be playing a game with multiple Kings. Troublesome, but good to know all the same. Next, who were the last four Maidens? I can assure you that no matter who you name, I will not change any of my immediate plans, but I will make sure to keep a close eye on them."

Jaune hesitated, visibly uncomfortable with the question. Ozpin raised a hand and sighed. "Mr. Arc, if you do not wish to tell me or you feel it is something that I don't need to know, then you may simply say so – I am not trying to force you to tell me everything. I am merely trying to determine how my plans may need to be altered."

"No, I'll tell you," Jaune said quietly. "If I can't trust you of all people with foreknowledge, how could I trust myself with it? It's just… difficult to let other people know what they maybe shouldn't, you know?"

"Mr. Arc, I know that very, very well," Ozpin smiled grimly. "It is difficult, but sometimes, it is absolutely critical that you tell them."

"Right," Jaune nodded hesitantly. "The members of Team RWBY were the final four Maidens, but Weiss, Blake, and Yang killed themselves in order to unify the seasons, and Ruby used that power to send me back."

Ozpin's eyes widened minutely in surprise, then narrowed. "Are you positive that Ruby was the only Maiden left? Could one of the others have possibly lived?" He asked urgently, a note of… something, in his voice, though Jaune couldn't identify what it was.

Jaune nodded slightly. "No chance, Professor," he said hoarsely.

Ozpin leaned back and kneaded his forehead with one hand. "This… complicates things," he muttered. "Had they worked together instead of sacrificing themselves, then…" he trailed off, mumbling indistinctly.

"Professor?"

Ozpin started, as if he'd forgotten Jaune was there. "I apologize Mr. Arc. Don't let it concern you. One final question. When did things start to fall apart at the seams?"

"The Vytal festival," Jaune whispered, closing his eyes. "That was when things truly began to fall apart."

Ozpin nodded slowly, drumming his fingers against the table. "Yes, that would be the perfect time to strike, wouldn't it?" He murmured to himself, then looked at Jaune. "Thank you for indulging me, Mr. Arc. Now, are there any questions that you have for me?"

"No questions, actually," Jaune admitted. "I'm realistic enough to realize that it's almost impossible for me to change things as I am without outside help. You were the most logical choice as to who I let know. Additionally, if I ever need help or feel that there is something I need to do to preserve Remnant, you're in a position with quite a bit of influence, which means that I can come to you for help."

Ozpin sat back in his chair, gazing at Jaune. "Those are very wise words, Mr. Arc. How old were you, if I may ask, when you were sent back?"

"Twenty-five," Jaune admitted, gazing at the ground.

"So young," Ozpin murmured quietly, shaking his head. "I am truly sorry that you had to go through that. Just know that if you ever need someone to talk to, then I am here for all my students, past, present, and future."

"Thank you, Professor," Jaune whispered, a lump in his throat. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Several weeks had passed since his final talk with Ozpin, and Jaune had settled into a familiar routine. Wake up early in the morning to train, wake the rest of his team and eat breakfast with them and Team Ruby before going to classes. After classes, he would train for several hours in the training rooms before rejoining RWBY and the rest of JNPR for dinner and relaxation, then go to bed, wake up, and repeat.

He knew that even with all of his remembered skills and techniques, he was far behind almost everyone else at Beacon, simply due to the state his body was in. His body was weak, had little to no muscle memory, and was sluggish compared to the reflexes he'd possessed before. He wanted to throw himself into training, spending every waking hour honing his skills until he was at his previous level, but refrained from doing so.

While training was important, he'd noticed the rest of his team giving him concerned looks when he came back after his first and only six hour training session. He could see why they would be concerned, he supposed – he'd staggered into the room, looking almost dead on his feet and smelling heavily of sweat. He didn't want to make them think anything was wrong, so he laughed it off and toned back training, though his team made sure to keep a close eye on him from then on.

He was catching up, improving at a speed that would have astonished him if he hadn't known what he could do before, but he estimated that it would be at least another three months before he could even hope to fight one of his friends. His only way of keeping up at the moment would be through conscious use of auric enhancement, but his body would begin to break down if he used it for longer than half a second.

And so, when he walked onto stage to fight Cardin after a month at Beacon, he knew that no matter how hard he had trained, he was going to almost certainly lose. It was that simple. He'd put up as much of a fight as he could, but he was pretty sure he would lose anyway. In all honesty, Jaune felt like losing was the right decision anyway. Cardin had become a better person after Forever Falls, and losing to him in combat class had helped solidify his status as a victim – if he won, Cardin might back off, and while he was sure that Cardin would eventually realize his wrongdoings, he wanted to keep things as close to the timeline as possible.

"Begin!" Glynda Goodwitch shouted, indicating the start of the match. Cardin charged forward, swinging his mace, and Jaune purposefully held his shield at a bad angle, letting the mace slam past his shield and into his chest, albeit with greatly reduced force. He was sent skidding backward, and one eye caught site of his aura meter. Save for a tiny sliver, the meter was completely full. _'Why?'_ He wondered. In the first timeline, that would have removed nearly a quarter of his aura…

His eyes widened, and he bit back a curse. He should have realized. The first time around, his aura had been unlocked only a month before – it was disorganized and untrained. This time around, not only was his aura highly trained and organized, but it was also many times larger than before. He estimated that even if he let Cardin hit him head on at full force, it would take Cardin at least eight hits before his aura dropped into the red. And that would bring him attention. Only a month since his aura was unlocked and already withstanding blows that could blow through concrete? He couldn't afford the labels and attention that would come with it.

To make matters worse, he couldn't use auric enhancement – if he did, he wouldn't be able to use whatever he'd enhanced for at least a minute. And then there was the fact that Cardin was better trained than he was – at least at this point in time. To sum it up, he was going to have to beat Cardin, while in his seventeen year old body, without using auric enhancement, and to top it all off, he couldn't let Cardin hit him. _'This,'_ he thought grimly, _'is going to be difficult…'_

* * *

I had a lot of people tell me that the chapters were too short, and I can see that being the case. The thing is, I'm currently updating every two days, in addition to writing at least another thousand words a day for my own original story. That means I'm writing at least 2500 words a day in addition to working. It's just not feasible for me to write longer chapters in that short a time frame. What I want you to tell me is whether I should try and keep my update schedule as is (one update every two to three days or so, but with shorter chapters), or decrease how frequently I update, but update with larger chapters (In this case, it would probably be around a week before I update, but I'll try to have at least 5000 words per chapter, not including author's notes). Let me know what you think, and until next time!


	4. Miscalculation

My apologies for the delay with this chapter. Life knocked, and I had to answer the door. I really wish that I could have gotten this out yesterday, but we don't always get what we want. This one's for you, Monty.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

* * *

Jaune carefully observed Cardin's stance. Relaxed, not in a position to defend or attack. Overconfident. Were he faster, he'd be able to exploit such obvious openings. As he was, Cardin would have more than enough time to ready himself if Jaune charged. He hated to blame everything on his past body, but things would have been much more convenient if he had his physical attributes and skills in addition to his aura.

He shifted forward slightly, shield extended and sword held loosely in his hand – loose enough to change his grip slightly, but not enough to be knocked from his hand if he were forced to lock weapons with Cardin. Cardin didn't bother to change his stance, instead giving Jaune a small, confident smirk. Had he been younger in mind as well as body, he would have charged, but he refrained, instead taking another slow step forward.

Cardin hefted his mace over his shoulder and began walking towards him. "You know, Jaune, I've actually lost a little bit of respect for you, if that's even possible. I gave you the opportunity to come at me. Heck, I didn't even bother taking a stance. And you just stood there." He sneered, chuckling to himself, and Jaune noticed that he tensed slightly. "Ah well, I didn't really expect much. But if you're not going to come to me, I'll come to you!" He roared, launching himself forward.

Jaune was in motion the moment the words left his mouth, angling his shield just slightly – an angle that would allow the mace to slide off it and into the ground, which would leave Cardin open to a counter. The mace struck his shield and he felt his stance crumble under the pressure, knees buckling under the strain. The moment passed as the mace slid off the shield and into the ground, but Jaune was in no position to counter.

Cardin lifted his mace onto his shoulder, allowing Jaune to regain his stance. "Man, that was sad," Cardin laughed mockingly. "I mean, you had your shield positioned nicely, but you couldn't even counter! Pathetic." Jaune felt a flash of anger, but tamped it down. Emotions had their uses, but this was neither the time nor place. He relaxed slightly, and gave Cardin a small smirk. If he could get Cardin angry enough to make a mistake, then maybe…

Cardin narrowed his eyes and lashed out, but Jaune was already in motion, diving out of the way as the mace left a crater in the ground. He rolled to his feet at the near edge of the raised arena, and swayed unsteadily on his feet. Cardin charged, lashing out again, and Jaune dodged once more, diving past Cardin. As he got to his feet, panting slightly, Cardin once more relaxed his stance.

"Jaune, Jaune, Jaune," he said, shaking his head. "Tired already? Why, I haven't even hit my stride yet!" He snorted in disgust. "What kind of Hunter gets tired from less than a few minutes of combat? A dead one, tha-"

Jaune charged, noting the way that Cardin's face twisted into a malicious grin as he did so. He swung his sword, and the mace rose to intercept, smashing into it with such force that had Jaune been holding it, he would have been hard pressed to keep his grip. But he wasn't holding on as he had instead released it right as their weapons were about to clash.

The lack of resistance left Cardin completely off balance as the mace sent the sword flying through the air, and Jaune took full advantage, slamming his shield into Cardin's chest. Combined with the momentum of the charge, Cardin was thrown off the stage and to the ground.

He rose with a growl, murder in his eyes, only to stop as Glynda Goodwitch walked onto the stage. "Congratulations on your victory Mr. Arc. However, while a ring out may be a victory in matches between hunters, Grimm will not care about being knocked off stage. I recommend that you take what time you have and train."

She turned to Cardin as he glared at Jaune. "And you, Mr. Winchester. I suggest that you not get overconfident, even if you are fighting someone you are physically superior to. A tactical mind can often overcome close differences in skill."

She then looked out at the gathered students who had been watching the match. "Even though Mr. Winchester's aura is still in the green, he has been knocked off of the stage. In a tournament style match, this would result in his loss. You should all keep your wits about you and pay careful attention to your surroundings."

The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and she raised her voice over the immediate clamor of voices. "The Vytal Festival is only a few months away – keep what I've said in mind should you choose to fight in the combat tournament. Class dismissed." She strode off the stage, and Jaune hopped down from the ring and was immediately surrounded by his friends.

"That was so awesome!" Ruby gushed. "He was all like, 'Raargh! Smash!' and you were all 'Nope! Eat shield!'"

Pyrrha nodded at him, smiling faintly. "You have come quite a way since you were flung screaming through the air by a deathstalker."

"But no matter how far you come, you'll always be Vomit Boy to me!" Yang chimed in as Jaune rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same.

"A match like that probably took some energy," Ren noted, nodding at him. "We should head to lunch before the lines get too long."

"Oooh! I wonder if they'll have pancakes!" Nora said excitedly. "I'll have ten… no, twenty!"

Weiss pointed a finger at Nora. "How can you still want to eat pancakes? You had at least fifteen this morning!"

"She's Nora," Blake murmured, shrugging as if that explained everything. Which it did.

Jaune laughed slightly. "Well, lunch does sound pretty good right now. To lunch!" He said, and everyone missed the note of nostalgia in his voice, laughing and talking together as they made their way to the cafeteria. He lagged behind slightly, smile taking on a bittersweet tone.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you coming?"

He looked up to see his friends looking at him in concern. "I'm fine," he deflected, laughing slightly. "Last one to the cafeteria buys drinks!" He broke into a sprint as soon as the words left his mouth, ignoring the indignant cries behind him as he swore silently to himself that he wouldn't let anything happen to them. Not this time around.

* * *

"I still say that all of you but Ren are cheaters," Jaune grumbled as he poked at his food. "I mean really Nora? Using Magnhild's grenades? I'm surprised that we didn't get in trouble." She gave him a wide grin through her mouthful of pancakes. "And that's not even counting the rest of you. Semblances are cheating I say. And so are shotgauntlets."

"Actually Jaune," Ren said, slightly apologetic, "I used my aura to assist me. To be fair though, you did set the rules and you had a head start."

Jaune threw his hands in the air and was about to respond when he heard Cardin laugh from behind him. He turned, not bothering to hide his grimace as he saw Cardin and his team harassing Velvet. "What a jerk," he murmured under his breath. He hesitated, wondering if he should intervene – he'd already messed up the timeline, and he'd always regretted not standing up to Cardin before Forever Falls.

Making up his mind, he stood up and strode to over to Cardin, who looked up at him and sneered angrily. "What do you want?" He snarled.

"Stop harassing her," Jaune said simply. "Or you'll be going through me."

Cardin rose to his feet, the rest of his team standing as well. "Well well, so little Jaune has some spunk, huh? Well, I suppose that if you're asking us to walk over you so politely, who are we to decline?" He smirked as he spread his arms wide, indicating the rest of Team CRDL.

"It's not just him you'll be going through," Blake said softly, rising from the table and walking to stand beside Jaune.

"You'll have to deal with us too," Ruby added, taking her own place next to him as the rest of their friends joined them, glaring at CRDL.

The cafeteria fell silent as the three teams glared daggers at each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. Cardin broke the standoff, snorting in disgust as he turned away from them. "Come on guys, let's get away from these losers." His team followed him as he walked away. As they reached the cafeteria doors, Cardin called over his shoulder, voice filled with loathing. "This isn't over, Arc. Not by a long shot." With that he pushed his way through the doors, not bothering to look back.

Jaune relaxed as the tension disappeared and chatter began to return to the cafeteria. "Erm, thank you," he heard Velvet whisper. "You didn't have to do that though… they would have stopped eventually…"

He turned and smiled slightly at her. "Just because he would have stopped eventually doesn't change the fact that you needed help. And don't thank just me – my friends helped too."

"Yeah!" Yang chimed in, grinning broadly. "It's practically a _cardinal_ sin to ignore the rest of us! Eh? Eh?" She looked around at the blank faces before muttering, "Well _I_ thought it was pretty good…"

"Thank you all," Velvet said sincerely, ignoring Yang's interjection. "Really, thanks. I have to get to class now, but I really am thankful." She got up and bowed slightly to convey her gratitude, then scurried off.

"Ugh, we have class too," Ruby moaned. "Why did they put history right after lunch? Couldn't they have given us a free period or something?"

Weiss rolled her eyes and grabbed Ruby by the arm. "Come on, we'll be late if we don't hurry. Let's go."

As Jaune made to join the rest of his friends as they went to class, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "That was quite brave of you," Blake said quietly, staring at him. "Not many humans would have intervened in such a situation. I'll admit, when I first met you, I thought you were just a clumsy human. I see now that I was wrong."

Jaune sensed an opportunity to oust Blake's faunus heritage early, but resisted the urge. Her revelation of her species had resulted in Sun, and by proxy, the rest of Team SSSN, becoming close friends with RWBY and JNPR. He hated thinking like this, but he had to admit it was necessary to ensure that certain key events came to pass. Speaking aloud, he said, "Faunus are people too. No matter their physical attributes. Everyone should be free of discrimination, both humans and faunus."

"If only more people thought that," she smiled wryly, "Then Remnant would be a much happier place." He nodded, conceding the point.

"Hey! Are you two coming?!" Yang's boisterous voice came from outside the doors.

"Shall we go?" Jaune asked, gesturing ahead.

"I suppose so," she murmured, before they dashed ahead to rejoin their friends.

* * *

After being held back in Professor Oobleck's class, which he had been careful to keep as close to the original timeline as possible, Jaune prepared himself to let Pyrrha, and by extension, Cardin, know that he'd cheated his way into Beacon.

"Can I talk to you about something on the roof?" He asked quietly, before Cardin was out of hearing range. "It's important."

"What? Oh, uh, sure," she said, blushing slightly.

He noted Cardin glance over his shoulder at them, and he grabbed Pyrrha's hand and led her up to the roof. Once they were alone on the roof, Jaune turned to his partner. "Pyrrha," he said seriously. She started, looking at him with red cheeks. He felt a bit bad about ignoring her budding crush, but went straight to the point. "I cheated my way into Beacon," he said solemnly, gazing into her eyes.

"Jaune, I…" she paused as his words registered in her mind. "You what?" She whispered.

"I cheated my way into Beacon." He turned back around and gazed at the horizon. "I didn't actually go to combat school. I don't have any formal training. I faked my transcripts."

"Why?" He heard her murmur. "Why?"

He faced her once more, half-remembered words tumbling from his lips. "Because this is what I've always wanted to be. A hero. Like my father, and his father, and his father before him. I just wasn't good enough. It just didn't feel right to let this charade go on any longer."

She put a hand on his shoulder and looked him directly in the eyes. "Jaune," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "No matter what you did to get in, you've _shown_ that you deserve to be here. You beat Cardin in a match, and you stood up for the faunus girl back in the cafeteria. No one will doubt your worthiness."

He smiled sincerely at her, and she blushed, looking away and mumbling quietly. "Thanks Pyrrha," he said softly. "I actually wanted to ask you a favor. Would you mind helping me train? I've been training by myself, but there's only so far swinging a sword and practicing maneuvers will get you without a real opponent."

Still looking anywhere but his face, she stuttered, "O-of course Jaune! I'd be happy to train you!" She coughed gently into her fist before looking at him and smiling. "Would you like to get some practice in now? I think that some of the training rooms are open."

He shook his head slightly. "I think that I'll stay up here for a little bit. Get some fresh air now that that's off my shoulders, you know? Why don't you head back to our dorm room – I'll be back in a little bit."

She nodded, still smiling, and walked to the door. She hesitated, looking back over her shoulder at him. "Jaune," she said softly, "I really appreciate you telling me. It means a lot to me that you trust me so much." She opened the door and slipped inside, closing it with a quiet click. Jaune waited, relaxing slightly as he waited for Cardin to come up and blackmail him. A minute passed, and a small seed of doubt began to grow. Maybe Cardin hadn't been listening, or he wasn't in his room?

Jaune edged his way to the side of the building and peered down at CRDL's dorm room. The lights were off. He sighed, standing and stretching his arms. Cardin clearly hadn't been in – he'd miscalculated. It looked as though he would just have to hope that the Cardin would get in trouble and he could save him – being saved by one of his victims had been the impetus for Cardin's change for the better. He made his way to the door and slipped inside.

His scroll buzzed, and he opened it. Ozpin. "Hello?" he asked cautiously. "Professor Ozpin?"

"Mr. Arc, would you please come up to my office?" Ozpin's voice came from the scroll. "We have something important to discuss."

Jaune nodded, mind whirling with possibilities. Had Cinder made a move early? "I'll be up there as soon as possible," he promised, closing his scroll and walking quickly to the elevator.

The elevator dinged as it reached the top floor, and Jaune walked out fully expecting to see Ozpin sitting in his chair. What – or rather, who – he hadn't expected to see was Cardin Winchester.

"Hey there Jauney-boy," Cardin said, smirking maliciously. "I heard that you cheated your way into Beacon."

Jaune swore internally. He'd miscalculated even worse than he'd thought…

* * *

Jaune's actions finally come back to bite him, bringing about the first major change in the story. The important thing about this change is that it causes the story to split along two different paths.

In the first, Ozpin somehow manages to let Jaune keep his place at Beacon, either temporarily or permanently (This could be done through some sort of test, project, delaying action, or even just Ozpin pulling strings – though the last would dramatically reduce his influence). The second is that Ozpin is forced to expel Jaune from Beacon (which would almost certainly be temporary).

The first option would follow canon, but much more loosely as changes start to pick up the pace and Jaune's future knowledge gets thrown out the window. The second would involve an original arc of story, which would cause huge changes to canon, require OCs, and would involve little to no interaction between Jaune and Beacon characters until the end of the arc. I have both vaguely planned out, and both seem like they'd be equally fun to write. You guys know the drill – shoot me a pm or review and let me know what you think! Until next time!


	5. Century Class

Man, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. Stuff happened. And by stuff I mean XCOM 2 and work. Mostly XCOM 2, which in my defense is one of the most difficult yet addicting games I have ever played. But I beat it, so updates should come more frequently now. For those who don't know, I released a new story called Treasured Moments, which will contain all the heartwarming, humorous, and occasionally fluffy scenes that happen off screen. They are cannon to this story, but should very rarely (if ever) have an impact on the plot.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

* * *

"Mr. Winchester, I need to talk to Mr. Arc alone. Feel free to wait outside my office – I will call you in if I need your input." Ozpin said tiredly, kneading his forehead with one hand. Cardin nodded, flashed a smirk at Jaune, and entered the elevator, doors closing with a quiet ding behind him.

"You put me in a difficult position, Mr. Arc," Ozpin sighed once Cardin had left. "He recorded part of your conversation with Ms. Nikkos on his scroll. He only managed to get the latter half of your conversation, after you had confessed, which means that luckily there is only circumstantial evidence at best. However, there is enough that it would warrant an investigation into your transcripts, since the possibility of a civilian with little to no combat training in a hunter academy is taken very seriously."

He hesitated slightly. "I can most likely brush this over with an excuse or some such, but my reputation will take a sharp drop. Not only did I let in Ruby, who is two years younger than the starting age, but I also made a special exception for someone who had the temerity to fake his transcripts? The council and quite a few hunters won't be happy. I need to ask you – how important is it that you remain here? I can easily bring Qrow back here and have him take you with him to train and protect the current maidens."

Jaune paused, mulling it over. Was it really that important that he remain at Beacon? Wait… "Qrow is still on his mission?" Jaune asked urgently. "The current Fall Maiden hasn't been attacked yet?"

Ozpin frowned. "Attacked? I haven't heard anything from Qrow that would indicate that anyone was even on the hunt for the Maidens. To attack a Maiden head on…" he trailed off, brow furrowing.

"I don't know the precise nature of what happened," Jaune admitted, "but from what little I was told, Amber was beaten and had her powers drained from her by some sort of glove. Qrow arrived in the middle of the process and severed the connection, leaving Amber with only half of her Maiden powers."

"I can't think of anything that could forcibly remove a Maiden's power. Was there any symbol or device of some kind on the glove?" Ozpin asked quietly, mulling it over.

"I couldn't say," Jaune said, shaking his head. "That's pretty much the extent of what I know. I never saw it, and Qrow didn't get a very good look. Since no one ever saw anything like that again, we all just assumed that it was a one-time thing. But if we can stop it before it happens…" he trailed off meaningfully.

Ozpin paused, then shook his head slowly. "While that is an option, it would derail the time line even further. I dislike it, but allowing things to proceed until the Vytal festival seems as though it would leave us in an advantageous position."

Jaune hesitated, indecision warring on his face. "I… don't think that's the correct decision. One of the main problems in the first timeline was that Amber's powers were stolen – without those powers on the opposite side, we would have been in a much better position to fight back."

Ozpin sighed, resting his head in one hand. "You are the time traveler here, Mr. Arc, not I. If that is what you think is best, then I will alert Qrow. He hasn't made contact with a Maiden as of yet, but I will have him speed up his search."

Jaune exhaled, leaning back in his spot. "Thank you," he whispered, looking into the distance. "As long as she doesn't steal any Maiden's power, then Beacon should…" he trailed off.

"This will greatly disrupt the timeline," Ozpin said solemnly. "Your knowledge will become less and less useful as time moves on." Jaune nodded slightly, but didn't comment. Ozpin rose from his desk and walked to the window.

"As for your transcripts…" he murmured, gazing out into the distance. "I will inform Mr. Winchester that you were admitted to Beacon for your tactical prowess rather than your combat skills. He will almost certainly alert the rest of the school to your faked transcripts. I will delay it as long as possible, but eventually this will reach the ears of the council." He closed his eyes. "They will demand you take a test at the very least. One that will test your combat skills, and likely your tactical acuity as well. I suggest you train both in the time I can give you. You may go Mr. Arc," he sighed wearily, massaging his forehead. "Please let Mr. Winchester know that I wish to speak with him."

Jaune rose and made his way to the elevator. "For what it's worth, Professor," he said, finger hovering over the button, "I think this is the right decision." He pressed the button and exited the office.

"I certainly hope so, Mr. Arc," Ozpin murmured, returning to his seat. "I certainly hope so."

* * *

Over the next few days, the days leading up to the trip to Forever Falls, Jaune noticed a palpable tension slowly begin to build. It was displayed in the glares Cardin sent his way. It showed in the way the other students whispered as they looked at him, glancing away when he made eye contact. It manifested in the way his team and team RWBY kept their weapons close as they drew around him outside their dorm, as if to protect him from the rumors.

He ignored it, throwing his all into training with Pyrrha, devising maneuvers and strategies long into the night, hours after the rest of his team had fallen asleep. It was taking its toll, he knew; his friends threw concerned glances when they thought he wasn't looking, and even the teachers drew him aside to make sure he was pacing himself.

He understood that he was pushing his body hard, but he had been through worse. Much, much worse. Days spent fighting, until at the end he was exhausted, but stood victorious over his foes. Weeks without sleep, relying only on his aura and innate fortitude to stay alert and protect those he could. Months campaigning, fighting a losing battle as civilization slowly lost ground to the Grimm and the wild. He would not let something as small as this prevent him from growing strong enough to alter the future.

And yet… it wasn't enough. Though he improved at a rapid rate, he was months – years, perhaps – behind even the worst of his friends, even if he kept up the breakneck pace. Every day he returned from training, bruised and battered, while Pyrrha was as pristine and untouchable as the day he first met her.

It frustrated him slightly, to know he was so far behind. But only slightly. His greatest strength had always been his tactical prowess, even after discovering his semblance and years of training. And all the tactics and strategies in the world would amount to nothing if he found himself alone against a vastly superior foe. But when combined with his friends and his team? Then maybe, maybe they would have a chance. So he made it a point to practice with his team, to practice with team RWBY, to help and be helped in turn. For what are friends for, if not to be there when you need them?

* * *

Yang's fist blazed past his face as he ducked to the side, shield at just the right angle to deflect the follow up. He hopped back to avoid a brutal snap kick, only for a shotgun shell to explode on his armor, sending him stumbling backwards, stance broken. Yang was on him instantly, pressing the advantage as he struggled to regain his footing. She grinned and gave him a wink as her fist broke past his guard and struck him solidly in the chest, sending him hurtling through the air.

He spun in the air, tossing his shield at the charging blonde to buy time. She knocked it to the side with an almost lazy punch, barely slowing down. But it served its purpose buying enough time for him to land on his feet, twisting to meet her charge.

"Planning on going toe to toe with no shield? You've got guts," Yang smirked as he frantically dodged her blows. He whistled in response, a high pitched screech that threw her off for a split second. He capitalized instantly, throwing his arm out to catch his shield as it flew towards him. He used the momentum to spin, ending in a vicious blow with the edge of the shield colliding directly with her stomach.

She staggered, disoriented, and he rained down blows with his sword, slamming his shield into her face after his flurry ended. She flew back, groaning, and for a second he allowed himself to hope. Then she rose, cracking her knuckles, and he felt his heart sink as her aura blazed to life around her.

"Not bad," she said, eyes gleaming red. "But if that's the way you want to play…" she raced forward, and he braced himself as her fist slammed directly into his shield. His shield reverberated from the blow, his arm knocked woefully out of position, and he shut his eyes as her other fist smashed into his face.

Jaune woke with a groan, head aching. He looked up to see his friends hovering over him, concerned. "Did we win?" He croaked, throat dry.

"It was close until you were knocked out," Pyrrha murmured, sighing slightly. "But no. After you fell, Yang just steamrolled over Nora with Blake and then it was four versus two. Ren and I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and surrendered."

"That was a pretty cool trick you and Pyrrha pulled with your shield," Yang admitted. "Caught me completely off guard. Sorry about punching you so hard," she said apologetically. "I got caught up in the fight."

He waved it off with a grunt, sitting up woozily. Ren offered him a hand, and he gratefully took it, struggling to his feet. He wobbled unsteadily for a moment before Pyrrha gripped his shoulder, steadying him. "That semblance of yours is ridiculous," he informed Yang, rubbing his aching jaw.

"I'm sure that your semblance will be equally ridiculous once you find yours," she said, shrugging. "Most of them are kinda bullshit. And hey," she said, grinning. "For someone who got into Beacon without any real combat skills, you did pretty good today. Course, you had P-money backing you up, but still!"

"I still think that it was incredibly stupid of you to try to fake your way into Beacon," Weiss said disapprovingly. "It may have worked out, but you could have killed yourself. If Pyrrha hadn't saved you in initiation, you _would_ have killed yourself."

"But she did, so he didn't!" Nora exclaimed happily. "And now he's our fearless leader! Who would fight to avenge fallen friends instead of giving up," she said, shooting a dirty look at Ren and Pyrrha.

Ren shrugged tiredly. "There isn't any reason to fight a pointless battle. Especially when it's just a practice match between friends."

"Hmph," Nora turned away from Ren unhappily. "Dinner is not pointless. Losing team has to get the winning team dinner, remember?"

Ruby frowned, scrunching up her nose. "But… dinner is free at Beacon. All you have to do is grab us food while we grab a table. You don't even have to pay for it."

"Details!" Nora shouted, raising a fist to the heavens. "It's the spirit of the deal that counts! Not the boring stuff no one cares about! We should have –"

"Nora," Jaune cut in sternly. "We made a bet and we lost. It's not that important anyway." She deflated, pouting, and he fought off the urge to sigh.

"Why don't we go get some pancakes?" Ren interjected, rolling his eyes. "I'll let you have two pancakes if you forgive Pyrrha and I."

She glanced sideways at him, hesitating. "Three," she mumbled. "Or no deal."

"Three, but that's it," Ren warned, "or no pancakes tomorrow before the trip to Forever Fall."

She cheered, throwing her arms in the air, and Jaune shared an exasperated yet fond look with the rest of JNPR as Nora rushed out of the door towards the cafeteria.

* * *

"Forever Fall!" Peter Port boomed dramatically, spreading his arms wide to gesture at the beautiful forest. "A magnificent forest filled with the creatures of Grimm! Why, when I was but a lad, I came here to slay an enormous Ursa the size of a house! And so, with but a –"

Jaune tuned him out as Ruby nudged him with an elbow. "Ugh, why did we have to get stuck with Professor Port," she groaned quietly. "Why couldn't we have gone with Professor Goodwitch or Professor Oobleck? At least then we wouldn't have to listen to these awful stories."

"Professor Ozpin thought that it would be best if Cardin were separated from us," he whispered back. "Professor Goodwitch is responsible and attentive enough that she won't let Cardin's team do anything too foolish. At least not when she's actively checking up on them."

"But still, Port? We could have at least gone with Oobleck, right?" She grumbled under her breath. He ruffled her hair, prompting her to give him an angry pout as she tried to pat it back down.

He turned his attention to Port just in time to hear, "And so Professor Peach wants all of you to gather some of the red sap from the trees in Forever Fall! One jar from each of you should suffice. We'll reconvene here in an hour, which should give you some time to look around after you've collected your sap. Now, off you go!"

"Finally!" Ruby let out an explosive sigh as she turned to her team. "That took forever!"

"Aw come on sis, it wasn't that bad," Yang slung an arm around Ruby's shoulder. "I mean, sure, it was painful while it lasted, but it's over now. Let's go get that sap!"

"Wait!" Nora called, eyes narrowing. "Let's have another match. First team to collect _eight_ sap jars wins."

"This isn't a game, you know," Weiss scoffed. "Like Professor Port said, there are Grimm here. If you expect us to –"

"You're on!" Ruby shouted, pointing a finger at Nora. "Team RWBY will remain undefeated!"

"Accept then you'd be absolutely right," Weiss finished with a sigh, rubbing her forehead. She glared at Ruby. "And you! Don't just make decisions without the rest of the team! There's no way that –"

"What are the stakes?" Blake asked calmly, tilting her head.

"Oh, I know," Yang said, grinning evilly. "Let's keep this simple. Losing team has to acknowledge that the winning team is just plain better than they are."

"That sounds reasonable," Ren smirked. "I hope that you're prepared to acknowledge our supremacy."

Yang seemed taken aback that Ren would participate in trash-talk, but recovered quickly. "Looks like someone's getting cocky," she shot back. "But don't worry; I won't rub it in _too_ much when we win."

"Sometimes I hate my team," Weiss muttered to herself. She took a deep breath before glaring at JNPR. "If we're actually doing this, we need to lay down some rules. No interfering with the other team."

"And no semblances," Jaune said calmly. "Your team has an unfair advantage with your glyphs and Ruby's speed."

"That's fine," Ruby said, eyes narrowed. "This way your team won't have an excuse when you lose. First team back here with the eight jars wins."

At an unspoken signal, the two team leaders turned their backs on each other and stalked into the forest, their teams following behind them."

"I really should have remembered that I was allergic to this stuff," Jaune muttered as he gingerly held a jar under a stream of sap.

"This is the last one," Pyrrha consoled him, patting him on the shoulder. "With this, we have all eight jars."

He handed the final jar to Pyrrha and stood, stretching. "This went a lot differently than I expected it to," he murmured under his breath. Pyrrha cocked her head at his words, but kept quiet.

"And with this we're done!" Nora cheered, four bottles of the sap in her arms, Ren keeping a close eye on her to make sure she didn't drink any. "With how fast we finished, there's no way that we'll lose! Come on guys! We've got a match to win!" She called over her shoulder as she zipped to the edge of the trees.

Nora's eyes widened and she collapsed, ignoring how the sap bottles she had been holding shattered as they hit the ground as she fell to hands and knees. "No!" She cried in anguish. "How could we _lose_!" Ruby giggled, holding up a V sign, and Yang just smirked.

"Who's superior now?" Yang boasted, sweeping her arm to the side to indicate the eight pristine, full jars of sap.

"The results speak for themselves," Ren admitted. "You did beat us this time."

"And…?" Ruby prompted, grinning as she gestured at Jaune.

"And your team is superior to ours," Jaune finished, rolling his eyes as he struggled to contain a smile.

"And don't you forget it," Ruby walked up to him and poked his breastplate lightly.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, you win. This time. But next time…" he trailed off meaningfully, smiling.

She poked him in the chest again. "Next time, Team RWBY will put you in your place once more. And the time after that. And the one after that." She paused, then nodded decisively. "And all the times after those!"

"Oho," he said, raising a brow teasingly. "Them's fighting words, girl. You sure you want to throw down?"

"Oh please, not again," Weiss mumbled, closing her eyes and visibly fighting the urge to scream in frustration.

"You just lost one match, and yet you still want more?" Yang interjected, waggling her eyebrows. "I'm starting to think that your team is a sucker for punishment."

Nora staggered to her feet, licking the sap from one hand as she pointed the other at RWBY. "You may have won this day!" She shouted menacingly. "But the next time we clash it will be your defeat!"

"Actions speak louder than words," Yang smirked. "The score is four to nothing in favor of RWBY so far, and you haven't even come close to beating us. Sorry Nora, but your team is doomed from the get-go."

Nora growled, hand reaching for Magnhild. Yang grinned viciously as she readied Ember Celica, and soon, the two teams were glaring at each other from across the clearing.

The ground quaked as an ear splitting roar echoed through the clearing. Trees shook, and the two teams leapt back in shock as a gargantuan off-white Ursa entered the clearing, sniffing the air. Its head swiveled to look at a spot on the ground.

Jaune followed its gaze, grimacing as he realized what had happened. "The sap…" he muttered. The sap from the jars Nora had dropped was splashed across the ground. To make matters worse, Nora's arms were covered in the stuff. His gaze shifted to the rest of his team. "Ren, send out a distress signal," he murmured softly. Ren nodded and cautiously pulled out his scroll from a pocket, pressing a button on the screen to activate the emergency alert.

Ruby sidled up to him, careful not to make any sudden moves. "Do you have a plan?" She hissed quietly. "Because I'm drawing a blank here."

"Normally I'd say run," he muttered back, watching the Ursa out of the corner of one eye as it sniffed the sap covered ground, "but Nora has sap on her arms."

"So… fight?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the Ursa.

He snorted at the idea. "Ruby, that thing is a high Century class Grimm judging by its size. Plus, it's almost completely white. We _might_ be able to wound it, but we'd probably all die in the process. Grimm this old are supposed to be handled by an entire team of fully qualified hunters. As it is, I'm hoping that it's more interested in the sap on the ground than the sap on Nora."

As if to mock his words, the Ursa swung its head up to look directly at Nora. She clutched Magnhild tightly, glaring fearlessly at the Ursa as it growled lowly, padding forward. A shotgun shell slammed into its mask and harmlessly fell to the ground.

"Well that didn't work," Yang muttered as the Ursa turned to face her. It snarled at her threateningly, then charged with a speed that belied its enormous size. She dodged frantically, diving to the side as its claw swiped through the air where she had been. She grunted as the air pressure sent her tumbling into a tree, splintering it.

The sound was a wake-up call, prompting them to action. Nora charged forward, yelling a war cry as she brought her hammer down onto the Ursa. Jaune followed, hacking away with his sword as Pyrrha twirled her spear, stabbing it at the Ursa's hide. Ren closed in, eyes narrowed in concentration as his arms glowed with the tell-tale sign of auric enhancement, slashing at the Ursa. Ruby darted around it, prodding at its defenses with lightning speed as Blake sought to distract it with shadow clones. A wave of ice flew forward as Weiss gestured, a glyph lighting up in the air.

The attacks didn't even break the Ursa's skin, and it ignored them, slowly, deliberately making its way to Yang. Yang stood, shaking off splinters as she raised her fists. She wove in and out of the blows the Ursa rained down, staggering slightly each time as she was rocked by the air pressure, but her stance stayed firm, and she returned fire, shotgun shells adding to the mix of blades, hammers, and bullets that assaulted the Ursa.

The standoff continued for a long minute; the Ursa couldn't hit them, but none of their attacks so much as scratched it. Growing tired of the impasse, the Ursa raised a claw and brought it slamming down into the ground, rocking the ground. They stumbled at the unexpected shift, and the Ursa's eyes gleamed. Before anyone could react, its claw ripped through the air to collide directly with Yang.

She was sent flying like a bullet through the air, crashing through multiple trees before finally colliding with a sickening crack to an especially thick trunk. She slumped to the ground, and the rest of Team RWBY broke off their attack to race to check on her. Jaune wanted to scream in frustration as the cohesion of their assault shattered. The Ursa roared in triumph and turned to JNPR. The next minute was a blur as they fought desperately to stay alive, giving ground as the Ursa closed in.

A battlecry sounded from behind it, and the Ursa turned in time to receive the tip of Crescent Rose to the shoulder at just below the speed of sound. It roared, taking its first, albeit minor wound of the battle. JNPR took the time to regroup and tend to minor wounds.

"How is she doing that?" Nora wondered in awe as Ruby strafed the Ursa, raining down blow after blow as it ineffectually swiped at the air.

"Weiss," Ren panted, pointing at the heiress. "She's using glyphs to speed up Ruby even faster."

Weiss's face was scrunched up in concentration, glyphs forming and vanishing in Ruby's wake almost too fast to see, and even from a distance Jaune could see that she was shaking from the strain of casting so many glyphs so quickly.

"NOW!" Ruby roared hoarsely, disengaging from the Ursa, which sported dozens of tiny cuts. Blake stepped up beside Weiss, Gambol Shroud whipping through the air at breakneck speeds. Yang, blood trickling down her side reached out and grabbed the weapon as Weiss created a series of clocklike glyphs below Blake and in midair before she slumped to the ground. Yang's aura blazed with fury as she was launched at the Ursa, accelerating faster and faster through the temporal glyphs Weiss had created. Her fist slammed into the Ursa's chest, and for a split second time stood still. Then it resumed, and the Ursa was shot backwards as though from a cannon by the concussive force.

Yang collapsed, hand going to her wound, and Ruby was by her side in an instant. "They did it," Pyrrha whispered in disbelief. "They actually managed to beat a high Century class Grimm."

Jaune nearly sobbed in relief. "I knew they were good already, but this is on a completely different level from what I thought," he breathed out. His gaze fell on Yang. "Ren, do you have any medical supplies? Yang looks badly wounded."

Ren nodded, and had time to take a shaky step forward before the Ursa, armor flaking off and chest nearly caved in, charged out of the trees at incredible speed. Ruby looked up, eyes wide, and she made to jump out of the way before hesitating. Her gaze sharpened as she looked down at Yang, and she stood her ground, holding Crescent Rose in a defensive stance before being thrown violently to the side.

"Yang!" She shouted hysterically as she flew through the air. "Yang no! NO!"

"Sorry sis," Yang murmured, voice cracking as she gave a shaky grin. "But what kind of big sister lets their sibling take the hit for them?" The Ursa reached her and reared back, preparing to end her life, and her voice shook with poorly concealed fear. "I just wish that I could have seen you graduate," she whispered as she closed her eyes.

"YANG!" Ruby screamed, hitting the ground and darting forward faster than she ever had before.

He knew she wouldn't make it in time; and so, mentally preparing himself, Jaune closed his eyes and reached out with his aura. The claw came down, and he fell, blood erupting from his back as an invisible force slammed into him. His last sight before his eyes closed was of Ruby cradling a still breathing Yang in her arms. _'I guess…'_ he thought wryly to himself as his vision faded, _'I guess that this isn't such a bad way to go…'_

* * *

Kudos to whoever can guess which non-RWBY author's writing style I mimicked in the second part of this chapter. I've been trying to develop my own unique style of writing, so I thought some practice mimicking other styles might be beneficial. I don't know if the second scene added a whole lot, but I don't think that it detracted anything, so I'll leave it in there for now.

On the topic of Grimm classifications; Grimm grow stronger as they age, so I feel that a ranking system would take into account how old a Grimm is. For the curious, my ranking system is pretty simple; Newborn, Year, Decade, Century, Millennium, and Aeon. The terms low, medium, and high are more specific terms used to identify approximately how close a Grimm is to reaching the next classification. Aeon is used for any Grimm that has grown old enough that they far outstrip the power of any Millennium class Grimm.

In case I wasn't able to write it properly, this chapter ended with Jaune using his semblance. His semblance is the embodiment of the concept of 'martyrdom'. In essence, Jaune wraps his aura around another person (or several other people). This is in the first place remarkably wasteful, since to connect it, he has to latch a "thread" of his own aura onto the other person. Aura is essentially one's soul, and if it outside the body the soul is hosted in, it decays rapidly. Simply maintaining his semblance is a constant drain on Jaune's reserves. In doing so, however, Jaune provides numerous benefits to the person he is connected to, first and foremost being that any damage that person would take is directed to Jaune's aura instead. This causes a feedback effect, damaging his body as well. As his body takes damage, his soul becomes more "loose," and provides additional benefits such as increased strength, speed, etc, but the boost is fairly small unless Jaune is severely injured. Perhaps the largest benefit is that anyone who knows auric enhancement can use it freely and to maximum effect, boosting their muscles far past human capability. Since auric enhancement uses one's own energy, it doesn't normally register as an attack, so the body still takes damage. But since Jaune's aura is there, he takes the damage instead, allowing incredible ability boosting (at great cost to Jaune). If Jaune would fall unconscious, his aura retreats back into his body to try and heal his wounds. However, since both his aura _and_ his body are damaged, if it reaches that point Jaune is almost certainly in near critical condition.

Whew, that was long. Keep in mind that this is just my view on aura – it may turn out that I'm completely wrong if more details come out. Hopefully this clears up any confusion on Jaune's semblance in this story. Until next time!


	6. Interlude: Elements of Tragedy

So... *coughs into fist* this is a thing. Honestly I had no intention of taking it down this route, but then my muse whispered in my ear. And thus this interlude was born. The multiple perspectives might be a little disconcerting, but hopefully I kept things coherent. I've actually already finished the second and final part of the interlude, but this section is a lot more powerful on its own. I'll post the second part later today.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

* * *

Time slowed to a crawl as Ruby saw the Ursa bring its claw back, and everything sharpened to near laser focus. All her attention was on Yang, on the Ursa, on eking out just a _little_ more speed from her semblance. She'd already surpassed her former top speed and was nearing how fast she'd been with Weiss's glyphs. But it wasn't fast enough. When the claw fell towards Yang, mere seconds before she reached her sister, she felt her heart shatter.

Tears obscured her vision briefly, and she altered her path, intent on making the Ursa _pay_ for what it had done. She blinked them back in time to see the Ursa's claw blown back by a solid white aura. It roared, rearing back in pain and confusion as it regarded the fading bubble of light. Hardly daring to believe it, she changed her course once more, coming to a stop only long enough to gently pick up Yang and dart away from the Ursa.

She stopped at the edge of the clearing, laying Yang down gently so that she was sitting propped against an unbroken tree. "Yang?" She whispered tremulously. "Yang, are you okay?"

* * *

Yang looked up at the Ursa as it prepared to strike her down. ' _I can't believe that it's going to end like this,'_ she thought, closing her eyes. _'I was supposed to be there for Ruby, I was supposed to find my mom, I was supposed to-'_ she heard wind whistling as the claw swiped through the air, and she squeezed her eyes tight.

And then suddenly arms encircled her and she raced through the air. _'An angel?_ ' she mused as she was set down in a sitting position.

"Yang? Yang, are you okay?" Was that… Ruby's voice?

"Ruby?" she murmured as she opened her eyes, confused. "Wha-" She was engulfed in a tight hug as Ruby pulled her close.

"I thought that I'd lost you," Ruby whispered, voice shaking. "That you were going to leave me behind, just like mom did."

Unconsciously, Yang's arms snaked around Ruby. "Shhh," she murmured gently, rocking Ruby in her arms. "Shh, it's okay now. I'm alright. I won't leave you."

At that, Ruby broke down, sobbing in relief, and Yang felt tears well up in her own eyes. She fought them down as she gently stroked Ruby's hair, the fact that she was _alive_ hitting her fully in that instant. And then she remembered why she had nearly died.

Her head whipped up, and her gaze darted towards the Ursa, passing by…

"Jaune," she whispered in horror.

* * *

Blake closed her eyes, unable to bear watching for a moment longer. How could this have happened? To Yang of all people? She heard the claw whip though the air, and she gritted her teeth as she turned away. Just another failure, another time that she'd run away. What did it say about her, that one of her only friends was about to _die_ in front of her and all she did was turn away?

A rush of air and the scent of rose petals. Ruby. She had to be hurting so badly. Blake steeled herself and opened her eyes. "Ruby, I'm so sor…" she trailed off, eyes widening. Was that…?

"Yang? Yang are you okay?"

Blake rubbed her eyes. Yang was… Yang was alive! She laughed in relief, and began to make her way over to the two sisters. She stopped when Yang looked past her, a look of horror on her face. She followed her gaze.

"No," she murmured in disbelief.

* * *

Weiss grimaced as the claw fell, but didn't turn away or close her eyes. It was the least, and most, that she could do. She was almost surprised at the lack of blood, noting clinically that it must have been due to the force… field…

"Wait, what?" she murmured. She blinked and looked again. There it was, fading away, but it was there.

"Was that… divine intervention?" She shook her head. Whatever it was, it had saved Yang, and that was good enough for her. However, she couldn't stop herself from following the remnants of the field as they shot across the field to merge with Jaune as he fell, red fluid spurting from his back.

* * *

"Jaune!" Pyrrha screamed as the blonde collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from the four deep gashes across his back.

His eyes met hers briefly before looking away as they closed. He took one deep, shuddering breath, coughing up blood as he did so, before his body relaxed and went deathly still.

She stood there, time frozen as her brain tried to process what had just happened. Jaune had been standing there, before suddenly being struck down after extending his aura. Jaune was lying on the ground, probably dead. Dead…? She knelt down, desperately looking for the rise and fall of his chest. Nothing.

How could that be…? Jaune, dead? That just… that just wasn't possible. He was her leader, her first friend. He'd always been so kind to her, looking past the champion everyone saw her as to see the lonely girl hidden beneath. She hadn't even been able to tell him that she… that she…

She rose, sword and spear jumping to her hand and she took step after shaky step forward. There would be time to mourn later. After she'd made Jaune's killer pay.

* * *

Ren turned on hearing Pyrrha's scream. His eyes widened as he saw Jaune fall. His heart nearly stopped when Pyrrha stood and walked away from Jaune, eyes blazing with barely restrained fury. He scrambled to Jaune's side, nearly tripping over himself.

He noted clinically that Jaune's wounds were quite deep, and immediately took out a long roll of bandages from his medkit. He ignored the fact that Jaune wasn't breathing as he lifted him, rolling the bandages under and around him, tying them tightly in place. They were already soaked with blood, but at least they stopped any more of the precious fluid from leaking out.

He looked numbly at the still body of his friend, wracking his brain for a solution. For a way to bring his brother in all but blood _back_. He closed his eyes to prevent a tear from escaping. He would find a way out of this. He _had_ to.

* * *

Everything had been going right. They had beaten the Ursa. They were victorious. Everyone was still _alive_.

 _'So why,'_ Nora wondered numbly, _'Why is Jaune on the ground? Doesn't he know that we've won? That we're all going to go home together?'_

"H-hey," she whispered, stumbling forward in a daze. "Hey Jaune. Why are you just lying there Jaune? We're all going to go home and have pancakes. We're-" she brushed a tear away from her cheek. Why was she crying? Jaune was going to be just fine.

She knelt on the ground beside him. He was completely still, blood pooling around him on the ground. That was just like him. So lazy at times. But always willing to lend her a hand when Ren wasn't around to help her. Always willing to make her pancakes when she wanted them. Always willing to...

She shook him gently. When he didn't respond, she shook him harder. Why wasn't he responding?

"Get up," she whispered quietly, voice growing increasingly frantic. "Get up. Get up! GET UP! PLEASE JUST GET UP!"

He didn't respond, lying there quietly on the ground, and she threw her head back and screamed her sorrow and pain to the skies.


	7. Interlude: Breath

Ruby struck in a blur of red, blasting into the Ursa's chest, vaguely conscious of the armored warrior beside her as she lifted her weapon again and again, bringing it down each time in a blur of red steel. The Ursa roared, staggering back under the onslaught of scythe and spear, swiping blindly at the air.

It was almost a mercy to kill it, she thought distantly. It seemed that simply standing was taking its toll, the Grimm's collapsed chest killing it as a surely as their weapons. She wanted to maim it, to hurt it, to make it feel just a small part of the pain she felt in her chest. But she kept herself disciplined, each strike aiming to do maximum damage and kill the beast as swiftly as possible.

Eventually it fell, its once mighty roars reduced to pitiful whimpers and then silence, and she allowed herself to collapse to the ground, exhausted physically and drained emotionally. She watched, detached, as Pyrrha stumbled to her feet and made her way over to Yang.

* * *

Yang watched numbly as Pyrrha and Ruby fought in almost eerie synchronization, felling the Ursa without taking so much as a scratch. When the Grimm fell, she only felt dull acceptance instead of the grim satisfaction that she thought she would.

Pyrrha staggered over to her, and she managed a small, weak smile. "Hey P-money," she croaked, fighting to keep the smile on her face. "Good job on killing that thing."

Pyrrha looked at her, shaking, and Yang could _see_ the moment when she snapped. "Why!" She yelled, eyes hidden from view by her bangs.

"Pyrrha, wha-" Yang started.

"Why did Jaune have to die?! If you had been stronger, or faster, or just a little bit smarter, he would be here right now! Why?!" She fell to her knees, tears dripping down her cheeks as her hands clenched into fists. "Why?" She whispered, anger draining from her body, leaving her a shell. "Why?"

* * *

Blake could almost see the venom in Pyrrha's voice as she yelled. Yang reeled back as though struck, color draining from her face.

"Pyrrha," she interjected softly, causing the girl to look up at her with red eyes. "It wasn't Yang's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault."

Pyrhha just looked at her, eyes dead. "Yes it is," she whispered, closing her eyes. "It's because of her Jaune is dead."

"No," Blake said weakly. "It's not."

Yang reached up and tugged on her arm, giving her a watery smile. "Thanks Blake… but… maybe it is my fault."

* * *

Weiss, as exhausted as she was, knew that she had to do something. She hauled herself to her feet, staggering to the tree Yang lay under. She put her hand on her shoulder, causing Yang to look at her in surprise.

"If it were your fault," she murmured, giving Yang's shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Then it would be my fault as well. If my glyphs were just a little stronger, or I had just a little more aura…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "If anyone is at fault, it's the Grimm," she said with conviction, directing her words at Pyrrha. "If you want to blame someone, blame them."

She glanced at Yang, who gave her a weak grin, mouthed "Thanks," and placed one hand on top of her own, giving it a light squeeze.

* * *

Pyrrha sat there numbly, heedless of the world around her, replaying the way Jaune fell over and over in her head. The way blood spurted from his back. The way his once brilliant eyes dimmed before closing one final time. The way his body lay on the ground, completely still.

She opened her eyes and looked at the sky. All she could feel was an emptiness that seemed as though it would never go away. "Sorry," she forced herself to mumble. "It wasn't anyone's fault." She didn't really care whose fault it was. Not anymore.

* * *

"Nora, use your semblance and hit Jaune with a jolt of electricity," Ren said, a hint of desperation in his voice

She recoiled, glaring at him. "What?! Why would you want me to do that?!"

"Just do it!" He roared in frustration.

She squeaked and laid her hands on Jaune's body, a spark of electricity jumping from her hands. Jaune's chest rose briefly before stopping once more. She took her hands off his chest as she stared in surprise.

"Again," he urged, and she nodded, an expression of extreme determination on her face. She laid her hands on his body, and Ren could see lightning arc between her fingers and his chest. Jaune took a deep, shuddering breath and coughed, flecks of blood flying from his mouth. Nora took her hands off his chest and looked at them in wonder.

"Oh thank god," He sighed in relief, tension leaving him as he slumped onto his back. "He's alive."

* * *

Nora stared at the rise and fall of Jaune's chest before mustering all of her relief and energy.

"Hey guys!" She yelled, cupping her hands to her mouth. "He's alive! Jaune's alive!"

* * *

Peter Port burst out of the trees, eyes immediately scanning the clearing for any sign of danger. Nothing but a slowly dissolving Ursa. He filed the fact that someone had slain a Century class Grimm in the back of his mind, immediately looking for his students.

They weren't difficult to find, huddled around…

He whipped out his scroll and pressed a button. "We have a student in critical condition," he said urgently before the person on the other end could respond. "Get a medical team over here _now_." He closed the scroll with a flick of his wrist before closing his eyes. Clasping his hands briefly, he sent up a prayer to whoever might be listening that the medical team would arrive in time.


	8. Revelation

This chapter might seem a bit filler-ish, but trust me, there are some pretty damn important things that happen in this chapter. Things that have a huge impact on the story, even if they might seem unimportant. I just hope that I managed to keep things at least somewhat interesting.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

He woke to immense pain, a hiss escaping his dry throat as he opened his eyes. The lighting, even as dim as it was, sent pain lancing through his brain, but he ignored it as he struggled to raise his head.

"Jaune?" He heard someone mumble softly.

"Wha-" he coughed, small flecks of blood flying from his lips onto the white sheets he lay under. "What happened?"

A pressure he hadn't even noticed left his side as Pyrrha bolted upright. "Jaune!" She gasped. "Don't talk! And lie back down!" She pressed her hand to his forehead, gently pushing his head back onto the pillow. She grimaced. "You're burning up. I'm going to go get a wet cloth and some water for you, okay? Don't even think about trying to move," she warned, a tremor in her voice. He didn't – couldn't – move, but she nodded as though he had responded, and dashed off.

He wanted to call out to her, to ask what had happened, whether everyone else was alright, but his throat protested violently. Pyrrha returned, a cup of water in one hand, a bowl and towel in the other. She carefully placed the bowl off to the side, soaking the towel in it while she brought the cup to his lips, tilting it slightly so he could drink. He took small sips, careful not drink more than his body could handle at once.

Once the cup was empty, Pyrrha placed it next to the bowl, taking out the towel and twisting it, sending water cascading into the bowl. She laid it gently on his forehead, and he relaxed, the cool, moist towel providing soothing relief to the fever he hadn't even noticed. She smiled gently at him, humming a wordless tune, and he soon found himself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Warm air hit his face as something breathed right above him. He opened his eyes to see Nora directly above him, looking down at him.

She grinned, before turning her head. "I _told_ you that breathing on him would work Ren!"

He heard Ren sigh before Nora was gently pulled away from his face. "I never said it wouldn't," Ren said sternly. "But Jaune was in critical condition – he needs his rest."

Nora pouted, crossing her arms. "But he's fine now!" she protested. "See look! He's fine!" She gave him a quick once over. "You are fine, right?" She asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine," he said, giving her a weak smile. "Are you and everyone else okay?" Judging by the easy banter between the two, it didn't seem as though anyone else was severely injured, but he had to know for sure.

"We're fine," Ren said quietly. "You've been unconscious for a while, so our aura has had time to heal us."

"How long have I been out?" Jaune wondered aloud.

"You've been out of it for _sooo_ long," Nora exclaimed, waving her arms. "You've been sleeping for an entire _two months_! We had to withdraw from the Vytal tournament because you were still unconscious!"

Jaune processed that for a moment. "The tournament!" He gasped, throwing off the covers and making to get out of bed.

Ren rolled his eyes. "She's lying," he sighed. "You've only been out for a week and a half."

Jaune settled back into bed, relieved. "You scared me for a moment there," he murmured, then looked at Ren. "Wait, a week and a half? That's quite some time."

Ren shrugged. "You did wake up briefly two days ago, but other than that you've been out cold the entire time." He looked at Jaune somberly. "Honestly, Professor Peach didn't even have a good estimate as to when you would wake up. Your aura was acting oddly – it forced your body to heal in a certain way, aging you slightly to cope with the damage. Professor Peach estimates that your body aged a month or so. It's not very much, and the changes are pretty subtle, but you should take a look all the same." He pulled out his scroll and handed it to Jaune.

Jaune took it and activated the camera, staring critically at himself. His hair was a little longer, but that was to be expected. Maybe a slight change to his cheekbones here, some baby fat converted to muscle there. If he hadn't been actively searching for differences, he probably wouldn't have noticed. He handed the scroll back to Ren, who looked at him carefully.

"Would you be willing to talk to everyone else?" Ren asked hesitantly, finger hovering over a button on the scroll. "If you aren't, that's fine, but we've all been pretty worried about you."

"That sounds pretty good right now actually," Jaune admitted. Ren nodded and quickly typed up a message before sending it out.

* * *

His friends entered as a group, and he could almost see the relief, a weight lifting off of their shoulders as they confirmed that he was fine. Ruby beamed at him, tension leaving her body. Weiss inclined her head and gave him a small smile. Yang gave him her trademark grin, which he noted with some concern seemed subdued, but didn't comment. Blake nodded at him, and seemed to come to some sort of decision as she did so. Pyrrha smiled gently at seeing he was fine, though there was a hint of concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay Jaune?" She asked softly, looking him over.

"I'm fine," he said, before continuing, "You guys are all okay, right?" He noted Ren rolling his eyes in the background, but ignored him.

"We're doing just fine Vomit Boy," Yang winked at him, but he could tell her heart wasn't really in it. He nodded in response, making a mental note to ask what was wrong as soon as possible.

Ruby rummaged around in her bag, bringing out several notebooks and sheets of paper. "Here you go!" She said brightly as she handed them to him. "Yang and I decided to take notes for you."

"Thanks Ruby," he said as he accepted the notes. "I really appreciate it. If I fell any farther behind, I'd be in trouble," he grinned at her. He might have already taken the classes, but it had been a long time ago, and this time around he had been more concerned with training than studying.

"It wasn't any trouble," Ruby muttered, flushing slightly. "It was the least we could do."

They sat in silence for a moment, before Blake took it on herself to speak. "I have a confession to make," she said, taking a deep breath. She reached up and gently undid her bow, revealing a pair of cat ears. She looked at them nervously before continuing, "I'm actually a faunus. I'm sorry for hiding it from all of you.

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone digested the revelation, and then Nora jumped to her feet. "Omigosh, you have _kitty_ ears!" She exclaimed excitedly. "They're adorable!"

"They are pretty cute," Ruby said, staring at them as they twitched back and forth.

"You have got to be _kitten_ me," Yang said, slinging an arm around Blake's shoulder. "I mean, _fur real_? My _pawtner_ is _litter-ally_ of the feline _purr-suasion_? I'm _feline_ pretty foolish. It's all so _confursing_."

"This is one of the main reasons that I decided to keep it a secret," Blake muttered, burying her face in her hands as her ears lay flat against her head. "I knew this would happen."

"Ah, come on Blake, don't take it so _purrsonally_." Yang grinned devilishly.

Weiss interrupted before Yang could continue, one eye twitching. "As… _entertaining_ as Yang's puns are, I do have a few questions." She turned to Blake and her expression softened slightly. "Why would you hide that you're a faunus from us? Why wait until now to tell us?"

"I wanted you all to get to know me for me, instead of for my heritage," she said softly, gazing at the ground. "I… I don't think that I would have told you about being a faunus until much later if we hadn't encountered that Ursa." She looked up, determination burning in her eyes. "But I'm done running now. I'm done hiding."

She hesitated briefly, but forged onward. "And with that in mind, I have another confession to make." She turned to Weiss, and bowed her head. "I… was once a member of the White Fang. I'm not anymore, but I was at one point. I left after stealing a train filled with dust from the Schnee Dust Corporation." She looked up hesitantly.

Weiss stood there, looking at Blake with an unreadable expression on her face. "You were a member of the White Fang?" She whispered, face a mask. Blake nodded hesitantly, and Weiss turned away. "The White Fang has been at war with my family for nearly five years," she said quietly, hands clenched into fists. She whirled around, locking pain filled eyes with Blake. "I'll give you a chance to explain yourself. Then I'll decide for myself."

Blake nodded and took a deep breath. "I joined the White Fang nearly ten years ago. Back then, we were meant to be the voice of the faunus, a symbol of hope and bringer of peace and equality. We did what we could, but it was never enough. With so little in the way of results, our old leader stepped down nearly five years ago. Almost as soon as the new leader stepped up, the White Fang decided that peaceful methods weren't getting the job done, and switched to more violent means of protest."

She glanced at Weiss, who merely gestured for her to continue. "I'd always hoped that it was only temporary, that we'd manage a peaceful resolution. But as time went on, it became more and more obvious that as long as violence was more effective than peace, the White Fang would continue their tactics." She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I left once I had the chance. I decided that I would become a huntress and prove to them that peaceful methods could make a difference. That if I could just _show_ that in the end, human and faunus aren't that different, then maybe there would be hope for equality through respect, not fear."

"Do you regret it?" Weiss asked softly.

Blake hesitated for a second. "I do regret not leaving the White Fang before I did, and not trying harder to keep them on the right track," she said, choosing her words carefully. "But I will never regret working towards equality through peaceful means."

Weiss exhaled slowly. "This is a lot to take in," she admitted, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry, but could you give me a day or two to myself? I just need some time."

Blake nodded. "Take your time," she murmured. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Weiss jerkily nodded her head, walking to the door. She hesitated, hand on the knob. "Thank you for your honesty," she muttered, then glancing at Jaune. "I hope you get better soon," she said quietly, before turning the handle and exiting the room.

Blake sighed. "That went better than I'd hoped," she admitted.

"Don't worry Blake," Jaune smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure that she'll be back to normal once she's had some time to think."

"Yeah, don't worry Blake," Ruby said. "You're a good person. She's just a little confused right now."

Blake brushed away some moisture from her eyes. "Thanks everyone," she whispered hoarsely. "It means a lot to me."

* * *

"You guys go on ahead," Yang said as the group filed out the door. "I have some things that I'd like to talk to Jaune about. I'll catch up in a few minutes."

Pyrrha stopped and looked at her carefully. "Yang," she said softly. "You know that I didn't mean anything by it. I wasn't thinking straight."

Yang shook her head. "You might not have been thinking straight, but I need to do this. Just give me a few minutes. Please."

"Alright," Pyrrha whispered, turning and exiting the room.

"What's up?" Jaune asked, concerned.

Yang sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," she murmured quietly. "I don't know exactly what you did, but you sacrificed yourself for me. If I had just done things a little differently, then you wouldn't have had to do that. If you had died protecting me…"

He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling gently. "Then that would have been a worthwhile end. We are Hunters; we live, and die, to protect others."

"It's exactly as you said. We're Hunters. We live and die to protect others. Living because someone sacrificed their life for yours would be counter to that," she retorted.

"And yet letting someone else die when you could have done something more to save them is even worse," he replied softly. "You did nothing wrong, and even if I had to die to save you, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I made a promise," he said hoarsely, "not to let any of my friends die in front of me again. When I was younger, I lost many people because I wasn't skilled or smart enough." His eyes gained a strange intensity as they bore into Yang's. "I honor their memory by protecting others. Even if it would cost me my life. And if I die? Well, maybe I'll see them again."

She hesitated, groping for a counter, and he sighed. "Yang," he said, drawing her attention. "Everything turned out for the better this time. So don't worry about it."

She shook her head resolutely. "There has to be something I can do," she said stubbornly. "I need some sense of closure."

He thought about it for a second. "I don't really have anything that I really need," he murmured. On seeing her expression, he added hastily, "Maybe you could tutor me? I meant it when I said that I'm not doing too well in class."

"You could ask me anything, and you ask me to tutor you?" she asked, laughing. "I can do that. But if you ever need anything else, don't hesitate to ask." She rose and made for the door. "Thanks Jaune. For everything," she whispered softly as she left the room.

* * *

Hm. Not completely satisfied with this chapter, but it's loads better than my first or second draft. I ended up writing and rewriting this using different ideas on a variety of scenarios. This just ended up being the best written and advanced the plot the most. Until next time!


	9. Subtle Changes

There's a bit of a time skip in this chapter. I'm operating under the assumption that the Forever Fall trip was a day or two before the end of Beacon's first semester and there's a two week break period between semesters. The time skip is only a week or so based on this assumption since Jaune woke up a week and a half after Forever Fall. Anything that happened between Forever Fall and the start of Volume 2 occurred according to cannon except for those that couldn't due to timeline alterations. Astute readers will find the hints that I threw in as to what went differently, but keep in mind that this is told from Jaune's perspective and thus anything he didn't participate in or know about occurs in the background.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

* * *

"So where's Ruby?" Pyrrha asked curiously. "We only have a day left before classes start back up again, and I would have expected her to try and pack as many activities as possible in today."

Yang shrugged, snapping a grape out of the air with her mouth as Nora launched it with a spoon. She chewed for a moment, then swallowed and gave Nora a thumbs up before responding, "I dunno. She said she had some planning to get done. I saw her take Weiss's Vytal Festival activity binder when she left though."

"No wonder I couldn't find it," Weiss said, pounding a fist into her palm. "I was looking all over for that earlier today. Wait," she turned and glared at Yang. "If you saw her take it, why didn't you say anything? You could have at least woken me up."

"Because honestly, you had literally everything planned out for us," Yang muttered, rolling her eyes. "From when we would be watching the matches all the way down to when we would take bathroom breaks. Bathroom breaks! You don't need a schedule to have fun."

"Maybe for you," Weiss sniffed, "but I find that things quickly degenerate into a chaotic rush unless one carefully plans their activities. Order is key to having fun."

"Listen to yourself," Yang pointed a finger at Weiss, absentmindedly catching a tiny tomato in her mouth. "If you spend more time making a schedule of activities instead of doing the activities, it takes all the fun out of it. Chaos is _way_ more fun than sticking to a boring schedule."

"A-hem," Ruby cleared her throat, catching their attention. She dropped an enormous binder onto the table the two teams sat at, causing the table to shake under its weight. "Sisters! JNPR!" She gestured at them and hesitated a moment, glancing at Weiss. Weiss narrowed her eyes as if daring Ruby to say something. Ruby coughed and continued, "Four score and several hours ago I had a dream that we would come together as friends and have the best day ever!"

Jaune looked at her, puzzled. "Didn't we already plan to go into Vale today?"

"It wasn't organized enough!" Ruby slammed her hands down on the table. Weiss gave Yang a smug smirk, prompting her to roll her eyes. Ruby cleared her throat again. "Thus, I have taken the time to put together a list of what to do today! A day of excitement and fun, designed to kick the semester off with a bang!"

"I always kick my semesters off-" Yang was interrupted by a plum to the face, preventing her from finishing her sentence.

"We've already heard that one. Come up with something original that's also _good_!" Nora shouted, pointing at Yang. Yang growled and retaliated with an apple, and soon the cafeteria was filled with flying food.

* * *

Jaune held his stomach tightly, trying desperately not to throw up. Pyrrha rubbed his back while Ren gingerly offered him a bag in case he couldn't hold it in. He smiled thankfully at them, but it quickly turned into a grimace as the train took a particularly sharp curve.

"We're nearly there," Pyrrha murmured sympathetically. "Just another minute."

"Thank goodness," Jaune managed to gasp out when the station came into view. He staggered upright and swayed for a moment, the contents of his stomach rumbling ominously. He stumbled out the door as it opened, making his way to a bench and sitting down heavily.

"Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, eying him in concern.

"I'll be fine," he said, giving her a weak smile. "Just give me a moment while my stomach settles." He took several deep breaths, the air helping soothe his roiling stomach. Once he was confident that he wouldn't throw up, he forced himself to his feet. "So what's the plan for today?" He asked.

Ruby threw him a concerned look, but dutifully pulled out a notebook. "Let's see," she murmured as she flipped through the pages. "There's supposed to be a good action film in theaters today. It has pretty good reviews and there's some romance and tragedy mixed in as well." She looked up hesitantly. "Does that sound okay to everyone?" On seeing everyone's nods of agreement, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Onwards to the movie theatre!" Nora shouted, raising Magnhild and preparing to launch herself forward. Ren grabbed her by the back of the shirt, preventing her from moving.

"Nora," he said sternly, "What have I said about using explosives in public places?"

"But, but Ren," she moaned pitifully, "Ruby said this was going to be the best day ever. What kind of best day ever doesn't have explosions?"

"She has a point," Yang admitted. "Explosions are pretty awesome."

Ren just glared at Nora, and she wilted under his gaze. "Fine," she grumbled, shifting Magnhild to its portable form. "But there had better be explosions in the movie."

* * *

There were, as it turned out, quite a few explosions in the movie. Jaune vaguely remembered watching it in the previous movie, but it had been so long ago that he had forgotten almost all of the details. He wasn't complaining, since it made the movie more enjoyable. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Pyrrha taking several deep breaths and throwing furtive glances his way, the hand closest to him twitching slightly. He wondered what was wrong, but kept silent, turning his attention back to the movie. Pyrrha would tell him if something was bothering her; they were partners after all. The movie ended and they filed out of the theatre, discussing the highlights.

"Oh man, did you see that awesome shoulder throw Kert used at the end?" Yang asked excitedly. "I want to try something like that."

"Bah," Ruby scoffed. "That was lame in comparison Fide's weapon. What's a throw in comparison to chainsaw bullets fired from an automated turret sword?"

"But _both_ of those were tiny in comparison to the enormous dust bomb!" Nora interjected eagerly. "That explosion was massive! I wonder if we could make something like that!"

"Too impractical," Jaune shook his head. "The amount of dust needed would be staggeringly high."

"And even if we did end up building one I wouldn't let you get anywhere near it," Ren deadpanned.

"I thought that Niira and Jin made a very nice couple. What do you think?" Weiss asked Blake.

"The romance was a little too fast for my tastes," Blake shrugged. "I felt that she had a much deeper relationship with Melf before he died. What about you Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha looked up, startled. "What? Oh yes, the movie was very nice," she agreed, nodding her head. "It was… interesting."

Weiss and Blake exchanged awkward looks. "We were asking what you thought about the romance in the movie," Weiss said hesitantly. "Pyrrha, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine," Pyrrha shook her head to clear it. "I just… just have a lot on my mind. I guess that the way Melf died protecting Niira gave me a bit to think about."

"Alright!" Ruby said, drawing their attention. "Now that the movie is over, we've got about five hours before the last train back to Beacon!"

"What about curfew? Isn't that in an hour and a half?" Nora asked, puzzled.

Ruby deflated. "Oh yeah," she mumbled dejectedly. "I forgot that we had early curfew with classes starting up again. And it takes thirty minutes just to get back to the school by train, so we only have forty five minutes left. We only got to do one of the things I had planned," she grumbled dejectedly.

"We do have forty five minutes left," Weiss pointed out. "Why don't we stock up on dust? We're going on mission soon, and the tournament isn't too long after that. I think From Dust Till Dawn is around here, isn't it?"

Ruby brightened. "Yeah! I wonder if the old shopkeeper that I saved is doing okay!"

* * *

"Hey there!" Ruby waved her hand as they entered the shop. "How have you been?"

The old man behind the counter turned, his expression lighting up in recognition. "Ah, aren't you the girl who drove off that Torchwick fellow?" Ruby nodded proudly and he smiled gently. "I've been doing well since then. He may have made off with quite a bit of dust, but I still have some that hasn't been sold."

Ruby tilted her head slightly. "Wait, haven't you gotten anymore shipments of dust?" She asked, puzzled. "It's been nearly four months…"

He shook his head and sighed. "Sadly, dust prices have risen all over Remnant. It's not as easy to get dust as it was before. I had ordered a shipment from the Schnee Dust Company that was scheduled to arrive with a large shipment of dust a week ago, but it mysteriously vanished overnight."

"Wait," Weiss interrupted, eyes narrowing. "Did you say that the shipment vanished?"

The shopkeeper shrugged. "Like I said, it disappeared overnight. No one knows how it happened. The freight unloaded the crates late evening and left a security detail. None of them noticed anything odd happening, or even that the crates were missing until just before dawn. I just wish that my dust hadn't been aboard that shipment."

"Well, I can assure you that if your purchase is in our records, then you will receive what you paid for," Weiss nodded firmly. "As the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, I will ensure that it gets to you in as timely a manner as possible."

The old man squinted at her, then his eyes widened in shock and he bowed deeply. "Thank you Miss Schnee," he mumbled. "A very generous offer on your part, and one I will gratefully accept." He straightened and coughed into a fist. "Now keep in mind that I don't have much to offer, but feel free to browse what's left. That Torchwick fellow may have made off with all of my display dust, but he didn't get the specialized dust I managed to acquire." He puffed out his chest proudly.

"Specialized dust? What kind?" Weiss asked, a glint in her eyes. "There are a few types that I'd like to stock up on, but they only occur naturally and are very rare."

"Let's see," the shopkeep murmured, scratching the back of his head. "I think I have darkness, gravity, and some spatial dust. Really, the only one of those that's uncommon is the spatial dust."

"I'll take the spatial dust," Weiss nodded decisively. "I've had an idea that requires some for a while, but I haven't been able to get my hands on any."

The old man nodded and looked around at the rest of the group. "Is there any other specialized dust that anyone would like to purchase?"

"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed. "Do you have any fine granule fire-three dust?"

"That's not specialized you dolt," Weiss hissed.

"Uh, no specialized dust then," Ruby muttered, blushing.

The shopkeeper smiled at her. "What you're looking for is going to be in the tubes on the back wall," he gestured behind him before turning to Weiss. "How much spatial dust will you require?"

Weiss put a finger to her chin and thought for a moment. "Two ounces of powdered should do. An ounce and a half if it's in granulated form." The old man nodded and went into the backroom.

The teams browsed the store as they waited for the shopkeeper to return. "I wonder why they don't teach us how to mix and use dust," Yang mused. "I mean, we use it for practically everything, so you'd think that there would be a class on it."

"Actually we do have classes on dust, but they start second year. Basics first," Jaune replied distractedly, eying a large yellow dust crystal briefly before turning away. "They'd rather we get all the excitement out of our system in first year before dealing with volatile substances."

The shopkeeper returned, a vial filled with grey dust in hand. He carefully weighed their purchases on a large scale, typing on the register. "The total comes to two hundred lien."

"Wait," Weiss frowned. "That's only a fifth of what the price should be."

"Well, think of it as a discount for services rendered," he said, winking conspiratorially at Ruby and Weiss. "I won't accept any argument."

"Thank you sir," Weiss said, curtseying. "In that case, we will happily accept."

They paid for the dust and left the store, promising to come back at some later point in time.

Yang stretched and let out a sigh of relief. "Maybe not the best day ever," she mused, ruffling Ruby's hair, "but it was definitely up there. Good job sis."

Ruby pat her hair back down and sighed. "I was really hoping that it would be even better," she grumbled good naturedly.

"Think of it this way," Blake cut in gently. "We have another three and a half years to get it right. There's no need to rush."

Jaune clenched a fist. They'd have at least that long, he promised internally. They were all going to make it out okay this time around.

* * *

"No!" Ruby gasped. "How could this happen? How could they all be dead!?"

Jaune smirked at her from across the table, fanning his cards out in front of his face. "That's what you get for attacking Vacuo. Pyrrha and I won't lose to the likes of you!"

Ruby glared back at him and growled angrily. "We'll see if you can say that after Weiss and I crush you underfoot."

"My turn!" Nora cheered gleefully. "Ren and I are going to attack…" she thought for a second, face scrunched up in concentration. "Ren, who should we attack?" she whispered loudly.

"Maybe Yang and Blake?" He mused. "They do control the most land."

"Ren and I attack Atlas!" She proclaimed loudly. A student looked up from the book they were reading and shushed her angrily, but she didn't pay any attention. "I move my Griffons to flanking position and play Pincer Maneuver! Since I have two armies adjacent to yours, I get two extra dice this round!"

"Yeah?" Yang challenged, a glint in her eyes. "Well you just activated my trap card! Laser turrets! For each Grimm in your army, I get to roll a dice, and for every three or higher, one dies!" She grabbed a fistful of dice and shook them, sending the dice rolling across the table. "Hah! That's four down, two to go!"

Nora grimaced. "I attack with both my armies! Ren and I won't let something like this stop us!" She grabbed her own dice and rolled them. "Ugh…" she groaned upon seeing the results of the roll.

Yang smirked. "Looks like your tyrannical ambitions end here!" She declared as she rolled a fresh set of dice. "Haha! I… what?" She stared in disbelief at the multitude of ones.

Blake rolled her eyes. "I told you that we should have fortified last turn," she muttered.

"Looks like you've lost the Schnee Dust Company Headquarters," Nora grinned evilly. "That means that all of _your_ hunters lose the bonus dice from dust while _our_ hunters now have plenty of the stuff."

"Not so fast!" Weiss interjected, holding up a card. "I play Traitor, which means that any land you take this turn becomes mine instead. I won't allow my company to fall into the hands of someone like you!"

"Sorry Weiss," Pyrrha shook her head, "but I play Underhanded Deal. I can transfer the effects of any card to another player, so the Schnee Dust Company is mine now."

Weiss gaped at her, glancing between the board and the card Pyrrha was holding before slumping and putting her head on her arms. Ruby pat her back awkwardly, glaring at Pyrrha. "This won't be forgiven," she whispered menacingly.

Jaune's scroll rang, interrupting the game. He glanced at the screen. "Huh. It's a message from Professor Ozpin. Sorry guys," he said apologetically. "Professor Ozpin wants to talk with me. Pyrrha, will you be okay on your own?"

She waved him off. "Don't worry about me Jaune. With competition like this there's no way that I'll lose here." Her response set off a fresh wave of bickering as Jaune left the library.

* * *

The elevator dinged quietly when it reached the top floor, and Jaune stepped out as the door opened. "You wanted to see me Professor?" He stopped several feet from the door, glancing at the other occupants of the room.

Ozpin nodded, steepling his fingers in front of his chin. "Indeed, Mr. Arc. I assume that you at least know of everyone in this room, correct?"

"Yeah," Jaune said as his eyes darted from Ironwood to Qrow to Amber and then back to Ozpin. "You could say that."

* * *

I had no idea that this was the case, but a friend informed me that writers generally respond to reviews that are particularly insightful or ask questions. I had no idea that this was the case, so I apologize. I'd always thought that reviews were just comments and pms were what authors responded to. If you asked me a question in a previous review or had something you wanted my opinion on, shoot me a pm if you like. Starting this chapter I'll respond to insightful reviews and reviews that ask questions. On my profile page I now have a story tracker that indicates what stories I'm working on, what the status of a chapter is, and any delays I might be experiencing. It's updated at least every couple of days.


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